Faye
by Orijin
Summary: Ripped from my world and tossed into the role of savior, I can't decide what's harder, ending a war destined to leave this world in ruins or fighting against my longing for home. I hate this world, I love this world, but it isn't mine. Why must I save it?
1. Prologue

Faye

Prologue

The bright light that lit the large room seemed very dim in the present mood. Seated around the large round table were the leaders of the world's most powerful regions. None of them spoke. They simply gazed uneasily around at each other. Alyssa Clear, the dark haired president of Johto, gave a small cough, turning silver eyes on Michel Delizzo, the Prime Minister of Kanto. The man's graying hair flopped about his head as he placed a hand on his lined face.

"Well," he said in a gruff voice, turning bright blue eyes on the assembled leaders sitting around him, "what are we going to do?"

Hoenn's young administrator, Trevor Moore, swallowed as he tugged nervously at the neck of his tie. "What can we do?"

Alyssa Clear ran a slender hand through her hair and sighed heavily. "The only thing we can do," she began in her calm voice, "is find the One."

The silence in the room tensed. "Don't you think that's a bit extreme, President Clear?" asked Shinnoh Prime Minister Clarisse Taro.

There were murmurs of agreement from the congregation but Alyssa Clear merely shook her head. "It is, but these are extreme times. If something isn't done soon-"

"But we've never even tested the I.D.B.R.," protested Trevor Moore.

"On the contrary," said Alyssa Clear coolly, fixing the Hoenn Administrator with her sharp gaze, "we have."

"When?" demanded the young man incredulously, "and why was I never informed?"

"You were elected barely two months ago," wheezed the ancient Fiore president, Joseph Krane, "and were therefore considered untrustworthy. You were only informed of the I.D.B.R. because it is mandatory for all members of the Interregional Alliance. That didn't mean you had to know everything about it."

Moore scowled but did not press the matter. He was a very intelligent man, if a bit rash, and he knew when there was no point in arguing. He couldn't blame them for not trusting him, but he wished he had known about the testing of the I.D.B.R. before he had made a fool of himself. "So," he said at last, looking around at the group, "I presume the test was a success?"

"Yes," said Alyssa Clear briskly, "but that's not the biggest problem." There were nods and more murmurs from the Alliance. "As you all know, the discovery of a parallel universe is a thing of science fiction to most of the world. There are very few people who believe such a thing exists. We are all aware that it does and that there is a way to create a bridge of sorts connecting the two worlds. However, this is not only a procedure that is dangerous to those performing it; it is also dangerous to the balance of the world. Ironically the only one who can save our world lives in that parallel universe."

Michel Delizzo spoke up. "How can we be sure of that?"

"The simple answer is, we can't. We can only trust in what has been told to us. We know that the parallel world exists and must therefore accept that the other information is correct as well."

"President Clear," began Trevor Moore politely, "even if what has been told is completely true, how will we be able to locate the Chosen One?"

"She's already been located, Administrator Moore," said Alyssa Clear, smiling slightly.

Many of the men in the room had to work to hide their scowls. The fact that a girl had been chosen to save their world was a kick to the ego. Several of the women, however, wore looks of mild smugness on their faces. The President of Cerio nudged the President of Orion and held out her hand. The man sighed and removed two hundred dollars from his pocket and handed it to her.

Alyssa Clear cleared her throat and said, "Are we all agreed that the appropriate action at this point is to use the I.D.B.R. to create a bridge between our world and the Chosen's and convince her to help us?"

There was a murmur of assent from the assembled leaders.

"Good," said Alyssa Clear, taking a deep breath, "we'll begin operations A.S.A.P."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

"Come on, come on, move faster," I muttered to myself, staring doggedly at the clock on the wall behind the teacher. The second hand dragged forward to slowly I was convinced it had stopped. I tried focusing my eyes on the teacher for a moment then looked back at the clock. Yes. The second hand had moved. I turned my eyes to the teacher again and caught her staring at me. I gave her an innocent smile and quickly focused my gaze on my paper.

Mrs. Edison was notorious for making an entire class stay after the bell if even one student wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately it was hard to dislike her because she often acted like a kid herself, unless she was doing some serious teaching or was in a bad mood. Sadly, today she was in a bad mood.

I picked up my pencil and twirled it between my fingers, staring blandly at the slender object's black surface and thinking about everything I planned to do once school let out. First I'd get something to eat, then I'd call Jake to remind him about taking me to the movies tonight, then I'd…Oh yeah, I couldn't do that. I could go to the movies, but I had track practice after school so I had to put everything off for another hour or so.

I sighed. There were times I wished I'd never joined the team and this was one of them. Practice had an irritating way of cutting into one's free time. Still, it could be worse. I could have lost my mind and decided football would be fun. If I had, I'd be in a wheelchair with a broken neck, back, and everything else.

The ringing of the bell drove all thoughts out of my head. I grinned as I scooped up my books and joined the jumble of students pressing towards the door.

I picked my way through the crowded hallway until I reached my locker. There I dumped my books and went to collect my bag so that I could change out for practice. I hummed as I walked, looking cheerily around at the mass of students talking happily to each other as they made their way to the buses.

"Hey, Faye," said my brown haired friend Jessica as I entered the locker room.

"Hola, Jessica," I replied, grinning at her as I dropped my bag on the floor. "Have fun in History?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Mr. Boremetodeath is the dullest teacher in the world! I can't believe he got a teaching job at all." She began on one of her usual rants about how boring history was to begin with and how Mr. Brandy made it ten times worse.

I laughed as I unzipped my bag and pulled out my running shirt and shorts. "I do feel sorry for you, but not much. I like my seventh period class, most of the time anyway."

"Quit bragging," said Jessica huffily, pulling off her pink shirt and pulling on the white one she wore to practice. "You don't even have to put up with him this year. You got Mrs. Davis and she actually _tries_ to make history interesting."

"Yep," I said happily, checking my reflection in the mirror as I pulled my black shirt on. The fair skinned, stormy eyed girl in the mirror grinned as she flipped her brown-blonde hair over her shoulder. "I did have to put up with him last year, though," I said, turning away from my reflection and smiling at Jessica.

"Quit bragging," she said again, looking at her own reflection to see if her make-up looked all right. I didn't really get why she felt the need to wear make-up, but that was just me.

"What are two fussing about today?" asked our dark haired friend, Hope.

"Oh nothing," I said sweetly, bending down to untie my shoes. "Just talking about how much Jessica hates Mr. Brandy."

"Well I can't blame you," said Hope, pulling a tank-top and yellow pair of shorts out of her bag and beginning to get dressed herself. "I had Mr. Brandy last year and I had to work really hard not to fall asleep."

I grinned. "Same here. He could turn the most interesting topic into the dullest rant."

Jessica tugged on her running shoes and made a noise like car exhaust. "There isn't any topic in history that's interesting, no matter how you teach it."

"You'll think differently when you get Mrs. Davis," I said, struggling into my own shoes. The blasted things always gave me trouble and I was too lazy to loosen the laces. Finally I managed to get them on and tied and I stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Hurry up, Coach doesn't like us being late." I deepened my voice and shook my finger at them. "You're on track so you're supposed to be fast," I said, twisting my face into a half serious, half stupid expression.

"That's right," said Hope, imitating me. "And if you can't even make it to practice on time maybe you should think about another sport. I hear the golf team needs a few ball collectors."

I laughed, as did Jessica and Hope. We loved making fun of our coach. It was so easy to do. He wasn't a bad person, he was just funnily strict.

I adjusted my bag so that it wasn't pinning my hair against my shoulder and edged my way out of the locker room. Jessica followed me, "accidentally" bumping Hope with her bag as she went.

"Hey now, don't start nothin'," said Hope, adopting a tone of mock sternness.

"Oh yeah, whatchu gonna do about it?" demanded Jessica, putting on a fighting face and raising her fists. "Come on, I'll take ya. I got backup, right Faye?"

"Sorry, Jess," I said, waving a hand over my shoulder, "you're on your own. I'll be back to collect your body later."

"Traitor!" Jessica shouted after me as I sauntered out of the room.

I grinned and poked my head back in the door. "Hey, Hope, be sure to think up a good excuse for Jessica's death. I suggest drowning. Works every time."

"How would you know?" asked Hope, giving me a sly look.

"Shh," I said, batting my eyelashes in an innocent way before slipping outside again.

I took slow, deep breaths as I walked slowly towards the gym for a drink of water. Practice was nearing an end and I was pretty tired. Jessica and Hope were standing beside Hope's car discussing some problem or another. Jessica was making exaggerated movements with her arms so she must have been ranting about something.

I shook a few strands of stray hair out of my face and bent my head to take a drink. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something. I frowned and straightened up, looking through the window of the door towards the empty area between the gym and the science building. Maybe it was a stray dog. Every now and then a dog from a house near the school would wander onto the campus to do some exploring.

I bent down to take another quick drink of water then headed for the door, wiping a hand across my mouth. I loved dogs, even though the ones that usually came to school were shy.

I rounded the corner and looked at the empty lot. Well, it wasn't completely empty. Three people stood there, all older than me. Two of them were men and one was a woman. I frowned at them and took a step forward, intending to say something. However, when I moved they turned to look at me.

The woman seemed to be the one in charge because she took a step forward and fixed me with a piercing gaze. Her eyes were bright silver which was pretty creepy.

"Err," I said, trying to think of something to say. "Hi."

The woman didn't speak for a moment. She seemed to be thinking about something. Her eerie eyes gave me a quick look over then she spoke in a mild tone, "Are you Faye Ilene?"

To answer the strange lady with the creepy eyes or to not answer the strange lady with the creepy eyes, that is the question. "Who wants to know?" I groaned inwardly. That question was as good as a yes.

"My name is Alyssa Clear," said the woman promptly. She motioned to the two men behind her. "This is Trevor Moore," she indicated the young and rather hansom young man with light brown hair to her left, "and this is Michel Delizzo," she indicated the older man with graying hair to her right.

"Uh huh," I said, allowing my eyes to linger on the man called Trevor Moore. Hey, there was nothing wrong with looking. "And, uh, what are you doing here?"

The man called Michel Delizzo stepped forward. "We represent the Interregional Alliance as well as the regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. We have come to ask for your assistance."

"Muuhh…wha? Interregional Alliance? Kanto, Johto, Hoenn?" Well, these guys were certainly off their rockers. "You mean, like, the Pokemon Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn?"

The three stared at me with looks of shock on their faces. "How-how," said Trevor Moore, apparently unable to find the words he wanted.

Alyssa Clear composed herself and fixed me with her piercing gaze again. "How do you know about Pokemon?"

What did these guys think I was, stupid? Who didn't know about Pokemon? "Duh, because it's currently one of the most popular games in existence. Plus the cards and show and all that stuff. Ya know," I said, feeling kind of nervous at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces, "Satoshi Tajiri and all that."

"Who is Satoshi Tajiri?" demanded Michel Delizzo, glaring at me.

"The creator of Pokemon," I replied slowly, looking from one face to the other and feeling even more nervous. "You know, the Japanese genius person. If you know about Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn you must have heard of him. Well, maybe not must have, but-"

Alyssa Clear held up a hand to stop me. "It's obvious that someone from our world must have crossed the inter-dimensional gap and turned Pokemon into a game here. Perhaps because he could not find his way back."

Inter-dimensional gap. So these guys really thought they were from the Pokemon world? If they were five I could believe that, but come on, these guys were at least in their twenties. "You guys do realize Pokemon isn't real, don't you?"

The three fixed me with glares again and I decided shutting up would be a good idea. "No, Pokemon are real. I'm not sure what you know about them, but I'm sure it will be useful. Now, to business." The woman straightened up and gave a small cough. "As Prime Minister Delizzo said earlier, we represent the Interregional Alliance as well as our own regions. We have come to your world with the help of the I.D.B.R. to ask your assistance. Our world is currently in trouble and you are the only one who can help us."

"You have problems, you know that, right?"

Alyssa sighed and reached into the gray jacket she was wearing. I turned to give the lot of them a look over and saw they were all dressed in suits. That was weird, but not as weird as what they had said. "Here," the silver eyed woman said, offering me a photograph.

I hesitated then took it and glanced at the picture. It showed Alyssa Clear dressed like a normal person with a Delcatty in her arms. It looked much more realistic than the anime version Delcatty I knew, but that didn't mean anything. I had seen some splendid drawings of "real-life" Pokemon online. "Very nice," I said, handing back the picture, "expertly drawn, really. But what does it prove?"

Trevor Moore adopted an exasperated expression and took another step forward. "Listen, Faye, I don't know how we can convince you that we're telling the truth-"

Michel Delizzo cut him off. "We need your help. Please just trust us until we can prove that we're telling the truth."

"And how exactly do you plan to prove to me that you're not lying or just crazy?" I folded my arms over my chest and looked at them skeptically.

"We'll take you to our world and show you."

Old guy saying come to my world so I can prove to you that Pokemon are real. Yeeaahh, no. "I have to get back to practice now. Nice talking to you." I turned and raised a hand in farewell then started back around the gym.

"Wait," said Alyssa Clear, hurrying up to me.

"Look, Ms. Clear, since you seem like a nice person I won't tell on you for trespassing on school grounds, but I really don't have time to waste talking about nonsense. I like Pokemon just as much as anyone else, but that doesn't make me stupid and gullible. Now, please excuse me, I have plans."

"At least allow us to prove that we are not from this world. Please, it won't take more than a minute of your time."

I sighed and turned back to look at her. She seemed truly desperate and I wasn't a completely heartless person. If it would make her leave me alone I could wait around, at a safe distance, and let them "prove" themselves. "All right. But hurry up with it."

Alyssa Clear smiled in relief and beckoned me over to the gym wall. I followed slowly, keeping my distance. Trevor Moore and Michel Delizzo moved back as Alyssa Clear positioned herself in the middle of the lot. She pulled a remote of some kind out of her jacket pocket and flipped a plastic covering off it. An antenna extended a red light on the end began flashing.

The silver eyed woman hit a few buttons on the device and pointed it at the air. There was a burst of light and I couldn't help yelling in surprise and bringing my arm up to shield my eyes. I could still see Alyssa Clear and the two men standing there, looking at me with mildly pleased expressions on their faces.

Behind them was a shimmering hole in the air. As I watched, the shimmer became clearer to reveal what looked like a bridge. It was made of a thousand different colors that twisted and swirled, fighting each other for space. On either side of the bridge was swirling darkness. As I watched, a line of color sailed passed then stars appeared and vanished.

"What is it?" I breathed, staring in awe at the sight before me.

"That," said Alyssa Clear calmly, "is the bridge to the world of Pokemon."

"So," said Trevor Moore, apparently delighted by my shock, "do you believe us now?"

I tried to speak but no words would come out. Instead I just nodded, staring at the brilliant bridge before me. The bridge to another world.

"Will you help us?" asked Michel Delizzo sternly.

What could I say? Still unable to speak, I nodded.

"Good," said Alyssa Clear briskly. "It would be best not to dawdle. Undoubtedly someone will be coming to investigate your absence soon. Come along." She stepped aside and motioned towards the bridge.

I looked nervously from face to face. Trevor Moore gave me a nod of encouragement and slowly I took a step forward, then another. As I passed them I could feel a strange energy pulling me from the bridge. It seemed to be calling me. I looked up into Alyssa Clear's bright silver eyes and saw her give me a nod. Then I took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Walking across that bridge was like walking through a dream. Lights and colors swirled beneath my feet but it didn't seem solid. It was as though I was walking on air but at the same time like water, or maybe grass. I was terrified yet thrilled at the same time. The scene around me changed then changed again and then again. A million stars sprang up from nowhere, then great streaks of light danced overhead, then a field of what looked like distant flowers.

I couldn't make out any distinct sounds but there were sounds. It was as if the noise was coming from very far away and being squeezed through a filtered tube before it reached me. A couple of times I thought I heard voices and once I was sure there was a cry, but then it changed to a rushing that might have been wind or water.

I'm not sure how long it took to cross the bridge. It may have been a couple of minutes or a couple of hours. I didn't pay attention to the time.

Eventually something became visible in front of me. It looked like the end of the bridge. Beyond it was another hole. I squinted. Beyond the hole was a dimly lit room with no apparent detail. I sped up, holding my breath. The room became clearer as I moved. Steel gray in color with machines lining the walls. Only what was right in front of the hole was visible. On either side was a blur of indistinct color.

I was on the point of crossing from the bridge to the room when I realized what I was doing. I was walking from one universe to another with no idea of what lay ahead. I had just left my friends and family behind and they would probably be looking for me by now. I stopped and felt panic rising in me. What was I thinking?

I turned, intending to run back the way I had come, but I couldn't. Alyssa Clear, Michel Delizzo, and Trevor Moore were standing behind me. Alyssa raised her eyebrows but didn't speak. I tried to open my mouth but it felt like my lips were glued together. I shook my head at them and pointed back towards the world I knew. Alyssa shook her head and moved over so I could see the bridge, or rather, the empty space where the bridge had been.

The silver eyed woman gave me a push but I didn't move, just stared. She gave me another push and I took a few steps backward. There was no going back right now. I had to know why the bridge had vanished but I couldn't speak. Finally I turned and took the last few steps into the unknown world.

The room I was in was virtually the same all around. Large, gray, and dull. Machines lined the walls, all flashing and beeping. I could see a computer screen that seemed to be showing a virtual image of the bridge as well as the four people that had just crossed it. As I watched the bridge shrunk to nothing then the picture on the screen went blank.

"Well, we're here," said Alyssa from behind me.

I whirled around and glared at her. "Take me back," I demanded, backing away from her.

She seemed surprised by my sudden change of heart. "Why the change?"

"You tricked me. Anyone who saw that bridge would be too shocked to think about what they were doing. I just left behind my friends, my family, and my world. I didn't say anything to anyone and I didn't get a chance to do so. Make the bridge come back." Behind her I saw the faint shimmer in the air then nothing. Where the edges of the hole had been was a gigantic metal ring.

Alyssa Clear sighed and moved past me to the computer screen that had displayed the bridge. "We just opened a portal between two universes twice in quick succession. We have to let the machine recharge. Just calm down. If you still feel the need to return home later we'll open the bridge again."

I glared at her but there was nothing I could do. I was stuck, at least for the moment. "Fine," I snapped, whirling around and walking away from her. "But you had better keep your word." It was an empty threat. There was nothing I could do to her if she didn't, but I wanted her to know how serious I was.

"Good," Alyssa said calmly, ignoring my last statement. "Here, put these on." She took a wrapped bundle from on top of one of the machines and handed it to me. "You have to fit in if you're going to be in this world. Most trainers don't dress like that." She gave my Track and Field t-shirt and short shorts a disapproving look.

I felt my heart leap involuntarily. She had said trainer. Did that mean I was going to be a trainer? But I couldn't think about that now. I could come back after telling my mom and friends not to worry.

The three adults left the room with strict warnings not to touch anything. I allowed one of my fingers to hover over the computer screen and stuck my tongue out at them. Trevor Moore rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him.

I sat down on the cold metal floor and unwrapped the bundle of clothes I had been given. Surprisingly they were to my taste. A pair of faded jeans with the beginning of a hole in the knees. Perhaps the people here had the same dress sense as the people back home. Along with the jeans was a brown belt with six clips attached to it. I didn't have to think too hard to figure out what they were for.

A fairly plain and slightly worn black tank-top and similar t-shirt made me sigh. I liked black just fine but I had been kind of hoping for blue. Oh well, I could bring some of my own clothes from home when I went back to my world. A brown jacket with a stiff collar was under the shirt and beneath that was a brown hat that looked like it might belong to a paperboy.

Beneath all this was a pair of sturdy traveling shoes. They were the only thing in the pile, apart from a fresh pair of underclothes, that looked brand new. It made me wonder if the faded and worn look of my clothes was factory or human made.

Slowly I began to get dressed. Everything fit well and I wondered how they had gotten my sizes. It didn't really matter. The clothes were comfortable and likable and that was really all that mattered.

I wrapped my running clothes up in the left over packaging and noticed a dark green backpack underneath. I smiled at it and opened it to examine the contents. There was nothing remarkable. It looked like the contents of an average girl's purse, really. A hair brush, a small mirror, a wallet, a notepad with pencil, and a few hygiene products. I couldn't help sighing but decided to make use of the brush and mirror to fix my hair.

I slipped the hair tie I had been using around my wrist and pulled the brush through my hair until I was satisfied it was smooth. I picked up the hat I had been given and pulled it on then checked my reflection in the mirror. I liked the look. Kind of girly but not too much so.

I put the brush and mirror back in the backpack and zipped it up then slung it over one shoulder and stood up, looking around. "Now what?" I asked the room, clutching the package that contained my clothes to my chest. Perhaps I should investigate the room behind the door Alyssa and the two men had gone through.

That's what I did. My footsteps seemed to echo through the entire room as I made my way towards the door. It was as dull and metallic as everything else in the room. The place didn't feel like it belonged to the world of Pokemon, but then again, what did I know? I watched a show meant for kids. That much was obvious by the censored cussing and usual lack of real violence. This was the real world.

I reached for the doorknob then paused. I could hear voices from the room beyond, many of them. They seemed to be arguing.

"…How can we be sure this child is the Chosen One? From what you say she's already caused you trouble."

"We have to trust what we've been told, Prince Douglas. What else can we do?"

"We can send the kid back to her own world and deal with this on our own."

"And then what? Sit around and wait for the world to finish falling apart? That girl is our only hope."

"She's fifteen. What could she possibly do that we can't?"

"That remains to be seen, but I am sure she'll succeed."

"Why do you have such faith in her, President Clear? A child from another world, a world where they have apparently turned Pokemon into a game and disgraced our regions with childish stories. It will take us a long time to teach her the basic skills needed to survive in this world. Anyone who doesn't already know the simplest-"

"We don't know that she's completely ignorant. It's possible that what may be a child's game in her world holds true facts in the real world. She did seem to know what a Delcatty was, or at least she didn't ask about it when I showed her a picture of one."

"Knowing what a Delcatty looks like won't help her in the slightest. What really matters is-"

I backed away from the door so that the voices faded into a jumble of indistinguishable mutterings. I felt irritated and also ashamed. I prided myself for knowing quite a lot about Pokemon, but now I wasn't sure if it would be any help. I didn't even know if trainer had the same meaning as the way I knew it.

Suddenly I heard footsteps and the door was thrown open. Alyssa Clear looked around the room until she spotted me then marched over. "Good, glad to see they fit. Now come on, there are people you need to meet."

I hesitated. "They don't sound like they really want to meet me."

Alyssa sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. "They do, they're just anxious. Things are going badly and they want a simple solution. I wish they'd learn that there's no such thing as a simple solution."

I sighed and allowed myself to be dragged forward into the next room.

It was very large but not as big as the one with the portal device in it. It was pretty plain too, though a bit more decorative. A large, round table stood at the center of the room while a several colorful banners hung around the walls. Each had a logo on it. My eyes were caught by a banner with a large bird over a grand tower printed on it. It had to be Johto's logo.

Seated around the table were people of various ages, many middle-aged. I counted and came up with about fifteen. I guessed that each one of them represented a different region though I only knew about four, no, five of them. Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, Shinnoh, and the Orange Islands. This was assuming that Orre and Fiore weren't real.

All of them stared at me as I entered and I felt myself getting a bad case of stage fright. Did I have something on my face? Oh right, I'm the one who's going to save their world. Ok, stare on.

An ancient looking man with a very wrinkled face and very little hair stood up. "So, you're Faye Ilene." His voice was a wispy wheeze but he smiled at me. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."

I smiled back at him. I was glad I could make him happy because it looked like he was about to die.

A young woman with black hair stood up and gave me a look over. "You certainly don't look any different from any other trainer I've seen, but perhaps that's because you're dressed as one." She paused as though expecting me to say something then continued, "So, has President Clear told you why you're here?"

I blinked. President Clear? Did she mean Alyssa? I turned to look at the silver eyed woman who smiled at me. I immediately felt ashamed of how I had spoken to her earlier and attempted an apologetic smile. "No, not really," I admitted, turning back to the black haired woman.

"Well I'm not the one to explain," she said, sitting back down and folding her arms over her chest.

I wondered why she had brought it up if she had no intention of telling me, but it seemed rude to say this so I didn't. Instead I turned to Trevor Moore who was sitting near me. He shrugged and nodded to Alyssa Clear who moved forward and turned to look at me.

"Where to start," she said thoughtfully, looking me over a couple of times. "Hmm, I suppose I should try to make this story as short as possible. Here are the basics. Our regions are at war. All of them, for one reason or another, are caught up in a civil war. Famine and death are growing every day and if something isn't done soon our whole world could be destroyed."

I nodded, trying to take all this in. It didn't seem real. Wasn't the Pokemon world supposed to be a more or less happy place that didn't have war? I thought about this for a moment and realized this was foolish. This world was just as capable of going to war as mine was. But every region?

Alyssa Clear allowed me a few moments of pondering then continued, "There is a…prophesy, of sorts. Basically it was instructions for stopping the wars and saving our world. It told us how to breach the gap between two worlds, yours and ours, and how to find the Chosen One, the one who had the power to help us. The Chosen One would be able to put an end to the fighting with the help of their soul companion and a power beyond our imagining. The Chosen One is you, Faye."

Talk about an ego boost! I had personally never thought I was that special but if this prophesy could tell people how to create a bridge between two worlds it had to be right about me. So, the Chosen One, eh? I liked the sound of it. I wanted to make some very impressive statement about how they could all count on me because it looked like they were expecting it, but instead I simply said, "How do you know it's me?" So modest.

"Your name is mentioned in the prophesy as well as your general location. Since that information led us to you, it must be you."

That made sense. "So," I said, looking around at the assembly, "what am I supposed to do? Do I need to go find a legendary Pokemon and use its power to end the wars?"

"No. Besides, most legendary Pokemon are only myths. We don't know what you have to do but we do know that only you can do it. Now, here's the big question, will you?"

I was taken a back for a moment. I didn't really think I was going to be given a choice in the matter. I had to consider. Did I really want to travel around warring regions trying to stop them from killing each other? The truth was, I kind of did and I kind of didn't. I was always bored with my tame life and longed to do something to help the world, but this wasn't just some harmless adventure. War was dangerous and there was every chance that if I accepted I'd end up being killed.

Still, if this truly was my destiny, then I must be destined to succeed. And after all, these people needed me. What else could I say but yes?


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

There was a lot of talking going on in the room now. It had been nearly an hour since I accepted the task of saving the Pokemon world and my ego had been steadily growing ever since. This was mainly due to the fact that everyone except the three who came to get me was addressing me as Chosen One.

I was pleased to learn that my rudimentary knowledge of Pokemon was more or less correct, though there were some holes. For example, there was no such person as Ash Ketchum and Team Rocket had been defeated about a hundred years ago. Not to mention the fact that, although they had been thieves, they were also murderers. In fact, the entire organization had been made up of skilled assassins. That was news.

The more I learned, the more I became convinced this was real. I was a pretty creative person, but there was no way I could think up all the things they were telling me. The fifteen men and women in the room were all the leaders of the fifteen most powerful regions in the world and they made up the Interregional Alliance. The Interregional Alliance was in existence to prevent war and help each other to maintain stability and prosperity. Didn't seem to be working too well at the moment.

Through all the talking I got the strangest feeling that there was something they weren't telling me but when I mentioned it they just laughed and said I needed to stop using my imagination. That comment convinced me that I was missing something, but I didn't bring it up again.

It felt like years passed before Alyssa Clear called a halt to all the discussions. I was grateful to her. Fascinating though it was to sit with the leaders of fifteen great regions and learn so much information, it was also exhausting.

"I think that's everything we need to tell you," she said, smiling at me.

I gave her a weary smile in return and rose to my feet. I stumbled. I had been sitting on one of my legs for a while and had completely forgotten about it. This was do to the fact that it had long since become numb.

Trevor Moore took hold of one of my shoulders to help steady me and it took a lot of effort not to blush. The guy was really good looking. Had I been at school I probably would have made some joke about him being a knight in shining armor but…I had completely forgotten about going back home!

"Umm, excuse me," I said, raising my voice so as to be heard over the hubbub around me. Trevor looked at me with a "go ahead" look so I continued. "I had planned to go home and tell my family not to worry about me. I also wanted to make sure I had everything wrapped up that needed to be wrapped up, so-"

The ancient man I had learned was called Joseph Krane, the president of Fiore (it was real after all), let out a laugh that sounded more like a life or death struggle for air. "Chosen One, you cannot go home yet. You have a world to save. Anyway, no one would believe you. Look how reluctant you were to accept what President Clear was telling you."

I had to admit the guy had a point. "But," I stuttered, trying to think of a good argument, "How am I supposed to concentrate on what I'm doing if my mind is back on my own planet?"

Alyssa Clear smiled. "This is your planet, in a sense, just not your world. We're still on Earth, just not the one you're used to."

Right, complex rules of parallel worlds that would probably be very important to me in the future. But that didn't help me. "I can't just let my family and friends freak out about me being gone. They're probably already looking for me. My friend Jessica rode the bus home once when practice was canceled and her mom didn't know and she started calling everyone she could to find out where she was. It'll be just like that with me only I won't be at home with no clue about the panic."

"Calm down, Faye," said Clear softly, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Whatever you're supposed to do I'm sure it won't take long. We'll come up with a good excuse for your absence while you're away then send you right back home once everything is over."

Well that was reassuring. "Why can't I just go back and tell everyone I'm all right and that they don't need to worry. Even if I don't tell them where I'm going it might help." I knew from the looks on everyone's faces that I wasn't going to get my wish. Perhaps I shouldn't have agreed to help them. I caught myself. Just because this lot were being pushy and uncooperative, just like politicians are supposed to be, didn't mean everyone on the planet was. There were surely people worth saving.

"I tell you what, Faye," said Clarisse Taro, the woman who'd refused to give me information earlier, "you come back in a week, if you're not already finished with your mission by then, and we'll let you go home for a while. That ok?"

I didn't believe her but the notion that everyone here seemed to think this whole adventure wouldn't take too long gave me heart. At least I wouldn't have to worry too much about being gone. A week was a long time for someone worrying about their missing daughter, but at least it wouldn't be a month or a year. I could handle that.

At last I sighed and nodded rather glumly. "All right, you win. After a week, if I'm not finished, I'll go home and talk to my family." I stretched my arms over my head and flexed my fingers. "What time is it?"

"About eight at night," said Michel Delizzo, checking his watch.

I was surprised that so much time had passed. Perhaps the clock settings were different in this world. That would make sense. Or perhaps it was simply because I was on another continent. I considered this idea for a moment. I didn't even know what continent I was on. Well, best to ask now before I forgot. "Where exactly are we, anyway?"

"On an island off the coast of Johto," Alyssa Clear replied promptly. "We'll sail you to the mainland tomorrow before we head back to our respective countries."

I nodded. "Fine by me. So where do I sleep tonight?"

"The rooms are down that hallway," she pointed to a blue door on the opposite side of the room, "two doors down and to the left. I suggest choosing number seventeen because the rest will be occupied."

I yawned and nodded, rubbing my eyes. "Seventeen, sure." I said goodnight to the people nearest and tottered off towards the door. The hallway behind it was lined with red carpet and I noticed that the door to the conference room I had just left was marked with a large IA in very fancy writing. "Interregional Alliance. Why do they need the inter part? Couldn't they just call it the Regional Alliance? It sounds better." I shrugged and made my way to the door Alyssa Clear had specified.

The hallway passed that door was lined with yet more doors, each with a number on it. I made my way down the hall, not paying much attention to detail. I noticed the carpet here was a dull red and the doors were green. Whoopee. Finally I came to room 17. A small plastic envelope on the wall held a card which I promptly removed and swiped through the card reader attached to the door. A green light lit up and I pushed the door open.

I had expected something like a fancy hotel but instead I found myself in a cozy, meaning small, and quaint, meaning very plain, room with a twin bed. The bed was accompanied by a nightstand with a battered alarm clock standing on it and a desk with a lopsided chair. Obviously this room wasn't intended for regular use. Still, I wasn't complaining. A bed was a bed and at least I didn't have to worry about anything other than dust.

I quickly untied my shoes and dropped them beside the bed then did the same with my socks, jacket, t-shirt, and jeans. I flopped back on the bed and stretched again, looking at the wall behind me. The bed was very comfortable and decked with about five pillows and an equal number of quilts and sheets. What the room lacked in decorations it made up for in comfort, and that was what was important.

I yawned again and rolled around on the bed until I found the most comfortable spot. Then I snuggled under a couple of the blankets and pushed my head against as many pillows as I could. At least I'd sleep comfortably, if not peacefully. My mind was still full of everything I had learned and my worries about the people I was leaving in the dark. My body was exhausted, however, and soon won over against my mind, allowing me to slip into sleep.

----

I was woken sometime in the middle of the night. According to the glare from the alarm clock it was 2:00 in the morning. I frowned, trying to figure out what had woken me. At first I thought it was the dream I had been having. I had been battling with a purple Ursaring while at a track meet and my opponents lime green Delcatty had been too busy chasing the runners to attack.

I soon realized that this was not the cause. Someone was standing in the doorway to my room, staring at me. I gulped and pulled the covers up to my eyes, gazing nervously at the person. Whoever it was stood there for only a moment longer, then turned and closed the door behind them.

I allowed the covers to slide down my face and sat up, breathing rather faster than usual. Who had that been? I had half a mind to get up and follow them but I knew that was a stupid idea. It was probably just a maid or someone making sure I was all right.

I curled up under the covers again and stared at the wall. The faint glow from the alarm clock allowed enough light for me to see the outlines of everything in the room. I was ashamed to admit it, even to myself, but I was a little afraid of the dark. It was such a childish thing but who could blame me? A strange person had been watching me while I slept and I had seen enough movies to know that those people were usually psychotic murderers waiting to pounce on their unsuspecting victims.

I forced myself not to think about that. "Stop being stupid," I said to myself, tucking my face further under the covers and closing my eyes tight.

It took a long time for my restless mind to drift back to sleep and when it finally did my dreams were full of unease and worry.

----

Morning came far earlier than I would have liked it to. Though I had gone to bed early and only awakened for a short while, it still felt as though I had only been asleep for an hour or two. There was nothing I could do about it, however, so I had to get up.

There were no windows in my room but the light leaking through the cracks in my door were enough to see by. I looked more closely around my room, hoping to see a bathroom so that I could take a shower. Fortunately there was. Chosen One or not, I didn't want to go who knew how long without bathing.

The water pressure was lousy but the heat felt good. I allowed my thoughts to wander, stopping every now and then to ponder some bit of information I had learned recently. The more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed. Sure, everything around me was real, and my situation probably was too, but everyone was so sure I'd succeed and quickly.

The night before I had been tired and drunk on praise so I was perfectly prepared to believe this. Now, in the morning, as the warm water splashed over my face, I felt that there was something wrong with the picture. I had had the feeling there was something I wasn't being told before and it was stronger now. After all, if I, a fifteen year old kid from another world, could fix this world's problems in a couple of days, then why hadn't the people who lived in this world been able to do anything?

I shook my sodden hair out of my eyes as I turned off the shower and reached for a towel. It struck me how similar this world was to my own. So far I hadn't seen anything that was really different from my own. It was a bit drabber, but that was it. It wasn't as if there was nothing drab about my world, but my area had been pretty well off and I had a comfortable life.

Once I was dry I pulled my clothes on and proceeded to brush my hair. I winced as the brush hit a snarl and sighed. "Why did I have to be born with hair?" I asked the empty bathroom, staring moodily into the mirror. It was a question I had asked countless times before and was often accompanied by a comment about how I planned to shave my head. Fortunately I had never acted on my irritation, well, there had been that one time I had told the barber to cut off as much hair as she liked, but the woman had been sympathetic and hadn't snipped more than a few inches.

I tugged my paper-boy hat on and flicked a strand of damp hair off my shoulder. "Shexy," I said to my reflection, grinning and packing the brush into my green backpack before slinging it over my shoulder and flipping off the light.

The hallway seemed much drearier than it had the night before. I did notice a few portraits of people who were probably famous that I had missed but it didn't help. If anything, it gave the place an "old mansion" feeling and old mansions weren't that great in my opinion. There were plenty of people who loved them, of course, but I wasn't one of them. I was the one who immediately came up with some ghost story about the place usually involving ancient murders and aliens.

----

Alyssa Clear, Trevor Moore, and Michel Delizzo were waiting for me when I entered the conference room. All three wore the same outfits they had been wearing the day before and all three looked as if they had been awake for hours. I was normally a pretty good morning actor, but I still have a grudge against the real morning people.

"Good, Faye, you're awake." Alyssa Clear looked me over then around her and beckoned me closer. "Faye, there are a few things that I need to tell you. Now, quickly, before the others get here."

I blinked. A secret? One that must be told while the other members of the Interregional Alliance were away? Sweet. "Ok," I said, walking over to her.

She leaned forward slightly, her silver eyes darting around the room. Trevor Moore and Michel Delizzo moved closer, shielding us from view. "Last night you were told some things that weren't exactly true." She paused, considering, then said, "To be more precise, that weren't mentioned."

I knew it! "Like what?"

"Like the fact that this is going to be very dangerous. I had to play along but you have to know what you're really getting into. I honestly don't think this will be over in a couple of days, maybe not even a couple of weeks. I don't know what you have to do, but it can't be easy. Remember when I said nothing was simple?"

I nodded.

"Well, that was the truth. I could be wrong, but I doubt I am. Now, there is a lot about this world that you don't know. From what I heard you talk about last night I know that you are quite ignorant about things here. Perhaps you have a good knowledge of Pokemon, but not of our world. The fact that you call it the Pokemon world proves that. We only call it that for your benefit. You don't call your world the-the Animal world, do you?"

This made sense and I hoped I hadn't caused insult by addressing this world as I had. "You're right," I said, keeping my voice as low as Alyssa's. "Sorry. I'm just not used to this place yet."

"Exactly my point. You're ignorant. Don't look at me like that, it's not meant to be an insult. Now, there is no way you'll make it on your own. I knew that long before we came and got you. So the three of us, Prime Minister Delizzo, Administrator Moore, and myself, have arranged for you to have a traveling companion."

I frowned. This wasn't new. Hadn't they told me that my "soul companion" would be traveling with me? That was weird, yeah, but like Alyssa had just said, I was ignorant of things in this world. "You mean the soul companion you mentioned yesterday?"

Alyssa smiled and shook her head. "No, that will be a Pokemon."

Sweet! A Pokemon, a real Pokemon, my Pokemon. Danger or not, this was going to be a good journey. I could train hard and be ready for whatever came my way. I wondered what it would be. Perhaps a Chikorita or a Cyndaquil, I liked both. Though they'd probably be evolved and trained a bit already. If war was really as bad as I had been told then they wouldn't send me out into the world with a baby starter. Oh well, a Pokemon was a Pokemon.

Alyssa Clear was speaking again and I pulled myself back to reality to listen to her. "Your traveling partner will meet you at the port. I can't discuss it further here. Just promise me you won't tell any of the others about this. They wouldn't be happy about it."

"I won't tell," I said, pulling my fingers over my mouth to indicate that my lips were sealed.

"Good." She smiled at me then straightened up and turned. The sound of the door opening alerted all of us to the arrival of several more members of the Interregional Alliance. Alyssa Clear and the two men moved off to greet them. Trevor Moore winked at me and I felt my face burn slightly.

----

The boat ride to the mainland took much longer than I thought it would. When Alyssa had told me the island was off the coast of Johto, I had thought that meant very close. It turned out this interpretation was very wrong. Johto was a big region and it had been very small in my eyes when I gazed over the ocean from the dock.

The ferry we were on was much nicer than the building which was appreciated. The only problem was that I had never been on a boat before, not one like this. I had been canoeing a couple of times and when I was little I rode a tiny boat across a lake, but this was the ocean and I stumbled around for about ten minutes before finally finding my balance.

Once I had I was slightly seasick and ready to sick down. I joined Alyssa, Trevor, and Michel in a parlor room and we talked a bit more about my mission. I was quickly growing fond of this group. They seemed to be the ones working the hardest to help me.

"When do I get to meet my Pokemon?" It was the thing that had been on my mind since it was mentioned.

"When we reach the mainland," said Alyssa, exchanging a smile with the other two.

I frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," said Michel Delizzo, shrugging. "You just seem so much like the ten year olds a few years ago."

I guessed he meant the kids who were finally old enough to start their Pokemon journeys. I wasn't completely ignorant after all. "Right," I said, turning to look out the window. There was silence for a moment then I remembered something. "President Clear," I said, turning to her, the frown back on my face. "Last night I woke up and saw someone standing at my door. I thought maybe it was a maid so I didn't think much more about it, but I didn't see any maids anywhere, so-"

Alyssa Clear sighed and shook her head. "It was probably Robert," she said sadly.

"Who's Robert?"

The three exchanged another glance then Michel Delizzo said, "Do you know Clarisse Taro?"

"Yes," I replied, remembering the dark haired woman who had been a bit annoying.

"Robert is her son. He's…" He closed his mouth, opened it again, mouthed a few words I couldn't understand, then sighed, "Different," he finished.

I didn't need to hear more to understand what he meant. Robert must be a special person, in a mental way. I felt guilty for thinking ill of Clarisse. She had good reason to be grumpy. "What was he doing at the…the hotel thing."

"We call the whole building the Interregional Alliance Conference Hall," said Trevor, grinning with amusement.

"Clarisse is afraid to leave him on the mainland. There's too much going on and she doesn't want him to get hurt. He usually stays at the Conference Hall and sleeps in room sixteen."

Oh yeah, sixteen. Why hadn't I thought of that before? There were only fifteen Alliance members. I should have wondered why I was assigned to room seventeen when only fifteen rooms were in use.

"Look," said Alyssa, obviously keen to get off the subject, "we're nearly there."

I looked out the window and felt my eyes widen as the sight of the Johto region hit me. Land stretched in both directions as far as I could see. I could see beaches lining the coast but there didn't seem to be much activity going on. Why? War or not, people should still have some time to enjoy themselves.

Beyond the sand were buildings and a few palm trees. These trees looked almost exactly like the ones I was used to except they had white patches beneath the leaves. They must be this world's version of coconuts or perhaps some other kind of fruit.

The ferry sailed nearer and I wanted to ask about the lack of activity, but the sight of the region that had become my favorite over the years of my Pokemon fandom prevented me from doing so. It was beautiful to me. A paradise. How could war be raging in a place that looked so perfect? It just didn't seem possible.

The ferry slowed and soon stopped next to the dock. I got to my feet, my eyes still glued to the window, and walked quickly towards the door.

The ocean glittered as I leaned over the railing, taking in as much of the land as I could. This was where my adventure would begin. It would be great. Sure, there would be hardships along the way, but they wouldn't be too bad. This place was too wonderful. And I was about to get a Pokemon, a real Pokemon, as well as a traveling companion. This was going to be great.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I stood on the white sand of the beach near the dock and squinted at the buildings I could see in the distance. I was keen to begin investigating this new world but I still had things to do before I could set off.

"You're partner will meet you further along the beach. We told him not to wait too close to the dock."

I nodded, continuing to stare down the beach. "When do I get my Pokemon?"

"Now."

I turned quickly to stare into Alyssa Clear's bright silver eyes. "Now?" My voice was oddly breathless but I couldn't help it.

"Yes," the president answered, smiling. "But before I give it to you, there are some things you need to know." For some reason she took a glove out of her pocket and pulled it onto her right hand before reaching into a pocket and producing a small sphere. She moved her finger and the ball expanded, becoming the perfect size to fit into a person's hand.

It wasn't the kind of Pokeball I had envisioned. I had expected it to be the familiar red and white color, but instead it was a shimmering silver. "This Pokeball was mentioned in the prophecy along with everything else. It took a long time to figure out how to create it." She offered me the ball then hesitated and said, "I'm not really sure what it will feel like when you touch the ball. This is the only one currently in existence because it took so long to create. It has never been touched by a bare human hand before."

Strange though this was, I didn't hesitate to take the sphere from her. A moment later I regretted it. A jolt of something like electricity slammed into my hand and spread quickly through my entire body. I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on the Pokeball. Slowly it changed from the silver to a deep, stormy blue. I could feel my eyes widen as I watched and heard an intake of breath from Alyssa Clear beside me. The ball's color stopped changing but continued to swirl. I could feel an odd warmth coming from it. It was comforting and I could feel my muscles relax as the odd sensation the ball had produced ebbed from my body.

Finally Alyssa spoke again, her eyes locked on the ball in my hand. "That isn't an ordinary Pokeball. We call it the Soul Ball. The Pokemon inside it is very special. It represents who and what you are at the very deepest level. It is essentially your soul in physical form."

"My soul," I whispered, awe struck. "So that's what you meant by my 'soul companion'."

"Yes," said Alyssa, nodding. "The one who touches it with their bare skin will determine what it is. That's why we've never touched it without a glove. Once the creature inside becomes linked with a person it will stay that way forever. Basically, it will always be your soul. It can never become someone else's."

I felt excitement rush through me much like the jolt from the Soul Ball I had just received. In one quick movement I hit the dark spot in the center of the sphere and tossed it into the air. I had imagined this scene hundreds of times before but the reality was still far greater, even if it was basically the same.

The Soul Ball opened to reveal a great flood of bright blue light that twisted and writhed as it began to form the creature it held. My heart began pounding wildly and my eyes widened even more. It seemed that the creature within was small, but that didn't matter. It must be a Vulpix or maybe, my heart swelled with the thought, maybe it was a Mew. After all, I was the Chosen One.

It seemed to take an eternity for the light to take on a recognizable shape. It curled into a small, crouched figure with a long, curling tail. Small round ears poked out of a pointed head and short fangs protruded from the mouth. Then came the color. The top of the creature's head, body, and the whole of its tail were purple while the rest of it was white. The light faded and it turned to look up at me through large red eyes.

I gaped, all thoughts wiped from my mind. No way. It couldn't be. I was the chosen savior of the world! It wasn't possible…"I-I'm a…Rattata?"

It didn't seem possible. I had been brought from another world by word of a prophecy that said I was the one who could save this world from destruction. The leaders of the fifteen greatest nations had welcomed me, praised me, expected amazing things from me, and I was a Rattata at heart? A little purple mouse that couldn't do much more than growl and bite. Well, their world was doomed.

'Faye,' the Pokemon said, tilting its head to the right.

I jumped and looked down at the creature. "You talk!"

'Of course,' the little mouse said, smiling in a rodent-like way.

"Well…" said Alyssa Clear, obviously at a loss for words as she stared at the embodiment of my soul. Apparently Rattata wasn't what she had been expecting from the savior of her world. "Rattata are very…very hardy creatures. And you two can obviously understand each other so…"

She didn't finish her sentence. I couldn't blame her. The tiny creature in front of me must have made all confidence she had had in me vanish. "Can you understand what she's saying?" Wait, she? How did I know she was a she? Oh right, my soul. We were spiritually linked or something like that.

"No," Alyssa replied, looking at Michel and Trevor who both shook their heads, remaining silent. I wondered if either was capable of speaking at the moment. "It-She just sounds like a normal Rattata to us, which is to be expected. No one but you will be able to tell there's anything unusual about her."

I nodded. "So…now what?"

"Now," said Trevor Moore, speaking at last in a rather bland tone, "you start your journey.

The three leaders didn't hang around after wishing me luck on my journey. They all boarded the ferry and sailed back to the island. Though this was Alyssa Clear's region she didn't plan to travel through the war to get to the capitol, wherever that was. I wished I had asked but the thought hadn't entered my mind until after she was gone.

I sighed and turned away from the sight of the shrinking ferry and began to make my way along the beach. I guessed that the thing I needed to do now was find my traveling companion. I wished they had told me what the person looked like, but I had to respect they paranoia.

'Faye?'

I turned with a slight start. Oh yeah, my soul companion could talk. "Yes…uh, Rattata?" It seemed rude to call the little creature by her species but I had no idea if she had a name or not.

'Call me Dawn,' the Pokemon said, smiling up at me. She had a calm, quiet voice, much like the rational part of my mind that sometimes prevented me from doing stupid things. The only difference was that her voice had a higher pitch, something that would be expected from a mouse.

"Dawn," I said thoughtfully, rolling the name around on my tongue. Even though I knew nothing about the little Rattata, the name was perfect.

'Faye,' Dawn said again, drawing my attention back to her. 'I don't think they expect you to succeed anymore.'

I laughed. I had been thinking the exact same thing. "I agree. I personally can't blame them, but…" I stopped and looked down at Dawn. The little Rattata cocked her head to one side but didn't reply. "Sorry," I said, looking away.

'That's quite all right,' she replied, raising a paw to her mouth and giving it a lick with her tongue. 'Rattata in this world are supposedly weak and best kept as pets, not as battlers. But you must remember that I am your soul so I have your power.'

I was surprised at this. "But," I stammered, feeling less confident now than I had before, "I don't have any powers. I can run, yeah, but that's not going to help."

'It may,' Dawn replied simply, placing her paw back on the ground and motioning for us to continue walking.

I shrugged and began across the hot sand again. A warm breeze messed with my hair and I felt myself becoming uncomfortably warm in the jacket I was wearing. I paused to remove it and put it into my backpack before continuing. It had to be at least spring here, or maybe it was just because I was in a tropical area. I had never been to the beach in winter or fall but it always looked like a warm place to me.

A shadow passed over us and I looked up to see one of the palm trees I had spotted from the ferry. The white patches I had seen _were_ fruit, though exactly what kind I couldn't be sure. Suddenly my foot hit something lying on the ground and I stumbled. I turned my eyes to the ground and saw one of the white fruits lying there. About the size of a baby's head and pure white in color, it looked almost exactly like a coconut.

The knowledge that I hadn't eaten since arriving in this world struck me and I realized that I was very hungry. "Do you think these are good to eat?" I asked, bending down and picking up the fruit.

'I don't see why not,' Dawn replied, leaning forward to sniff the object. She suddenly lurched away, coughing, and at the same moment someone shouted at me.

"Drop it!"

I was startled and quickly released the fruit. I turned to see a boy, around my own age with brown hair, charging towards me across the sand. I was barely able to register his existence before he was beside me. He seized my wrist and yanked me to my feet then pulled me towards the water.

"What-" I started to say, but he yanked me down again and forced my hand into the cool ocean. The boy pressed my hand against the gritty bottom and rubbed it roughly against the sand. A moment later my hand began to sting as the first layers of skin were torn away. I was so shocked by the sudden happenings that I didn't object.

Finally the boy released my wrist and I pulled my hand out of the water. My palm was raw and red and a few spots of blood oozed through the skin. "Why did you do that?" I asked in an oddly calm voice, turning to look at the boy. He was very good looking and dressed a lot like I was.

The boy turned orange-brown eyes on me and frowned. "That coconut was poisoned," he replied simply, standing up and brushing sand off the knees of his faded jeans.

I stood up too, imitating his movements, then frowned and looked towards the palm tree I had found the coconut under. "Poisoned? Why would anyone poison a coconut?"

"Coconuts were very popular as a source of food and drink here," the boy said, brushing some of his rather long hair out of his eyes. "Not too long ago a gang of Greens made their way here and poured poison around the base of just about all the fruit producing trees in the area. The fruit turned white and anyone who touched it became sick. Anyone who ate it died."

I was stunned and thought about sticking my hand back into the water. "They poisoned the food source? That's…that's…"

'Sick,' Dawn finished in a mortified tone.

I looked at her and saw that her purple fur was standing on end. "Yes," I murmured, "sick." I turned back to the boy who was giving me a look over then asked, "You said the 'Greens' did this. Who are the Greens?"

The boy smiled. "You have to be Faye."

I smiled back. "I am. You must be the one who's supposed to travel with me."

The boy nodded and held out his hand. I took it with my good hand as he said, "My name is Soren Moore. I'm a trainer and escort to the Chosen One."

"Soren Moore?" I released his hand then asked, "Are you related to Trevor Moore?"

"Yes," Soren replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes again. "He's my older brother."

I gaped at him. Trevor had looked really young, but I had thought it was just because he worked out or something. If Soren was his brother…

Soren broke into my thoughts with a chuckle. "Trevor is the youngest Administrator Hoenn has ever had. He's twenty-two. I'm fifteen."

"I thought you had to be old to become the leader of a country, er, region."

Soren laughed. "Maybe where you come from. In Hoenn you have to be at least twenty, but the people do prefer people who have a bit more experience behind them. The only reason Trevor was elected is because of the current situation in Hoenn."

"Oh," I said simply. I exchanged a glance with Dawn who seemed to be waiting for something.

"Anyway," said Soren, "you wanted to know about the Greens?"

Dawn nodded, as did I. I had almost forgotten about my earlier question but now I returned my attention to Soren and waited patiently for him to continue.

"The Greens are one side of the war in Johto. Their enemies are the Whites. This area was once a White area but after the fruit was poisoned it was deserted. The Greens would have taken it over but their own actions prevented them from doing so. It was too dangerous."

So nice of the Interregional Alliance to drop me at a place like this. "So, the Whites are our allies, in a sense, right?"

Soren shook his head. "No. The Whites have done horrible things too. President Clear is working hard not to take sides. She wants to end the war in a stalemate. If neither side loses then neither side wins and that prevents tensions later on."

This seemed like a very good plan. "I think that's a wise decision." I paused then asked, "Why are the two sides called the Greens and Whites? Is it because of the type of Pokemon they train or something?"

"No. It's just the color of their uniforms. The names are just common referral. They refer to themselves as something different. I think the Greens are the Revolutionists and the Whites are the Defenders."

"Revolutionists and Defenders? Sounds like there are some big changes happening."

Soren shrugged. "I don't really know. That would be my guess but I don't know what started this war. The war in Hoenn was started by groups called Torrent and Inferno. They've been fighting for ages but suddenly they decided to band together and take on the region. It's amazing how much support they got from ordinary citizens and trainers. Those who opposed them fought back and bam, civil war." He sighed and shook his head, causing his hair to fall into his eyes again. "But that's not important right now. We're in Johto, not Hoenn."

I was surprised that a war could be started by two gangs, but then again, Torrent and Inferno were probably similar to the Aqua and Magma I knew about. Whether their motives were the same didn't matter, I had the gist. Was that how the war in Johto had started? It didn't seem likely because Team Rocket hadn't existed in centuries. Perhaps it was a new team.

Well, all that could be thought about later. At the moment I wanted to leave this area. I also wanted to eat. "Is there anywhere around here that still has uncontaminated food?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't risk it." He motioned for me to follow him and set off across the beach. I followed, bending down to pick up Dawn as I did so. The little Rattata was very light. She couldn't have weighed much more than a house cat.

Soren led me to a building that seemed to be falling down. I could tell it had once been very nice, probably very popular too. A bar was positioned at the end of the room and tables were scattered about. It was a restaurant of some kind and, judging from the faded sign hanging over the door, it had once served coconuts. I sighed as I entered, wondering again why someone would poison a communities food source.

'War does strange things to people,' said Dawn softly, looking around the room with a sad look in her eyes.

"Yes, it does."

"Can you understand that Rattata?" asked Soren, lifting a green backpack, which was much bulkier than my own, from behind the counter of the bar.

"Yes," I replied, wondering if Soren knew what Dawn really was.

He didn't seem to because he gave me a very curious look. "I've had my Pokemon for a long time and I'm only beginning to understand what they're saying. You haven't even been in this world for more than a day and you can already understand your Pokemon. That's amazing."

I exchanged an amused glance with Dawn but didn't allow my humor to show in my voice. "I suppose."

Soren stared at me for a while longer then turned to look around the room. "I think this is all I left here," he stated slowly, turning his head from side to side. "We can get going now."

I nodded and tightened my grip on the Pokemon in my arms. They were such casual words but what we were about to do was not casual. Heading off into a region plagued by war was scary, even if I was the Chosen One. I remembered the thought I had had when I accepted the mission set to me. If the prophecy was correct, then I was destined to succeed. That didn't mean this was going to be easy, but at least I knew I wouldn't fail.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The lack of life was very unnerving to me. Soren didn't seem bothered, though, so I acted as though I wasn't either. Dawn insisted on being carried. I assumed it was because she was tired or something but a light at the edge of my mind told me it was because she wanted to protect me. Although I tried not to think about it, I still didn't think Dawn could do much in a battle. Soul or not, she was still a Rattata.

Fortunately I didn't have to worry about battling because there were just as many wild Pokemon around as the forest as there were people. In other words, there were none. This was probably due to the fact that the food source for the Pokemon had been poisoned, too. I still couldn't understand why anyone would do such a horrible thing and I felt very bitter towards the Greens.

After a while of walking through unchanging forest scenery, Soren attempted to make conversation. "So, what's your world like?"

I considered the question. "Well," I began slowly, frowning, "it's a lot like this one. Beaches and trees, boats, water, war, pushy political leaders."

Soren laughed at my last comment. "They can be a bit annoying," he admitted, grinning.

"A bit?" I said incredulously. "Do you know they refused to let me go back to my own world so I could reassure my parents that I hadn't been kidnapped and murdered? A kid doesn't just vanish from school, something has to make them vanish and my mom's paranoid enough without anything actually happening."

Soren shook his head. "I feel sorry for you and for them. They're going to be worrying for a long time and I'm sure it's going to be horrible for them."

I laughed dryly. "The Interregional Alliance seems to think this whole journey will be over in a matter of days."

He looked back at me, one eyebrow raised. "Do you believe them?"

"I'd like to," I said, sighing and looking down at the Pokemon in my arms.

'I would too,' she said, her ears twitching in an agitated fashion, 'but neither of us are stupid. We know that this is going to take a long time. Alyssa Clear confirmed that.'

I nodded. "Yes, she did. Do you think they'll keep their word about letting me go back after a week?"

'No.'

"I don't either." I looked up and caught Soren's puzzled gaze. Oh yeah, he couldn't understand Dawn. To him it sounded like a bunch of squeaks or something. To me it sounded like regular talking, which was weird because Dawn was a mouse. Still, this world was different from mine and Dawn was the embodiment of my soul.

We continued on in silence. I wondered vaguely about what things would be like once we left this area. There would be people, hopefully friendly, and maybe Pokemon. I couldn't wait to come across wild Pokemon. I didn't know if they were anything like what I thought, but that didn't matter. Dawn hadn't been expected, but she looked pretty much like what I associated with Rattata. Much more realistic, but still what I recognized.

Time passed, trees passed, and the day passed with no change in scenery. All around us there was forest. The trees were in full bloom and the undergrowth was hard to walk through. In some places there were vines with sharp thorns growing all over them and they hurt when walked into. Very soon I had several scratches on my arms and I rather regretted taking my jacket off. Obviously it was for more than warmth.

Still, I was used to forest. I often went hiking in the woods behind my house, though I preferred to walk along the bed of the creek so as to avoid all the undergrowth. My main concern then was spiders and ticks but they didn't exist in this world, as far I knew anyway. I wanted to ask Soren but I didn't want to reveal further ignorance.

I looked up and saw the brilliant blue of the sky glimmering through the canopy of trees above me. This place was so much like home, but it was also different. I couldn't place the difference. Perhaps it was the lack of birds chirping in the trees or the rustle of small animals skittering through the bushes. Maybe it was just the knowledge of where I was or maybe it was the Rattata clutched in my arms and the brown haired boy walking in front of me.

At last the trees began to thin and I could see a path ahead of us. "This leads to a place called Azalea Town. Ever heard of it?"

I smiled. "Yeah. It's the place with the Slowpoke's Well and Kurt the ball maker, right?"

Soren turned his head and raised an eyebrow at me. "Once it was. Kurt, I've heard of him. He was very famous in his day, which ended many years ago. The Slowpoke Well, well, it was a celebrated relic of the town but the actual well was removed and the whole thing was turned into the Azalea Military Base."

I turned my head away from him and looked at Dawn. The little Rattata's eyes held the same emotion I felt. Sadness. I really had no idea what the Slowpoke Well had been like, but just the fact that it had been important and now it was gone was enough. "Why did they use a town relic as a military base? Couldn't they find a less...less important place?"

Soren shook his head, turning his eyes back to the path. "It was the perfect location. It was underground and already had a path and passageways carved into it. It was a popular tourist attraction."

"Ok, I guess that makes sense. But why did they have to remove the well?"

Soren smiled, but it was a strange smile. Satisfied, perhaps, with something else mixed in. "The people of Azalea didn't like their relic being turned into a military base. Some tried to stop it and their efforts led to a riot. In all the confusion and fighting the well was destroyed. After that people stopped fighting and accepted the change. Not like they had much choice."

It really was terrible. War led to destruction, but so did fighting war. How in the world was I going to stop it?

'Don't fret so much, Faye. Fate chose you, remember? You'll find a way.'

I smiled at her. "Thanks Dawn." For some reason it seemed natural that Dawn could understand what I was thinking. It made sense, but I didn't need to think about it. I didn't even wonder how she knew, I just accepted it.

----

Azalea was nothing like I had pictured it. I had imagined a pleasant little town with old fashioned houses and kind people. It certainly wasn't that.

Houses were the first thing that came into view. Long, winding rows of them. Red brick and grey stone mostly. There were a few wooden houses scattered about, but the majority was made of sturdier material. I couldn't help wondering if this was because of the war or if it had always been this way. I didn't ask Soren.

Beyond the houses was the town. Building after building, some eight stories high. The main part of town lay a little ways away from the suburban area and it looked like it was suffering from hard times. The place was pretty nice, but many of the buildings looked worn. Several of the shops had "Closed" signs over the doors and many more were just empty.

Soren didn't speak as we made our way through the streets and neither did I. I just looked around, amazed at what I saw. There were lots of people walking around. They seemed to be suffering just as much as the buildings. A lot of people wore clothes that looked second hand, much like my own.

This made me think and I muttered a question to Soren. "Up to this point I thought the worn out look of my clothes was just style."

He grinned at me, guessing what my question would be. "It's not. It's so you'll blend in. People, particularly traveling trainers, which are rare enough these days, don't have brand new clothes with fancy embroidery. Clothes aren't much more expensive than before, but this area is having financial problems. Not all places are like Azalea. It's just because of Grein Beach Resort, the town that was poisoned. They offered a lot of business because they're so close to Azalea but that can't happen anymore."

I shook my head. "This is crazy. People shouldn't…" I paused, looking at a woman with bright red hair who was glaring at me as though I had committed some horrible crime. She folded her arms and intensified her glare to the point where I couldn't help demanding, "What?"

She scoffed and scowled at me. "I don't know you," she said testily, her hazel eyes burning with suspicion.

"And I don't know you. Glad we've got that straightened out. Now, why are you looking at me like that?" I could hear Dawn groan inwardly. Apparently the mind reading thing worked both ways. Soren merely shook his head but didn't interfere.

The woman let out a sort of hiss that was rather creepy. "I bet you're one of the Greens, aren't you? Don't try to play dumb with me, I can see through your disguise."

What disguise? I wasn't wearing a dress, like her, but that didn't really mean I was in disguise. I was about to mention this when I man with black hair and dark purple eyes laid a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Let her be, Matilda. Can't you see the girl has a Pokemon with her? And she's wearing a trainer's belt. It's obvious that she's not one of the Greens."

This sparked my interest. Why did having a Pokemon or being a trainer make it impossible for me to be a Green? Were they against Pokemon or something?

"It's probably a trick," the woman spat, continuing her glaring.

I was quickly becoming irritated but felt a mental nudge not to do anything stupid. I could have sworn I heard Dawn's high voice warning me, but I spoke anyway. "I'm not a Green, never have been. Stop being a-" there was another nudge at my mind and I switched from my usual choice of words to a more polite version, "judgmental just because I'm a stranger."

Soren stepped in at this point and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "You'll have to forgive Judith, ma-am. She's from Kanto, like myself, and hasn't learned her manners yet."

I scowled at him but Dawn grinned mousishly. _Serves you right for stirring up trouble._

_Shut up, she was asking for it._

_She was just worried. There's a war going on. It's natural for people to be suspicious of strangers._

_That's no reason to look at me like I'm the spawn of the devil or something._

Dawn rolled her red eyes. _I admit she wasn't being very nice or very fair, but you can't go talking that way to complete strangers. There's no point in making enemies._

_All right, all right, I get your point._

"Something the matter?" Soren's voice cut through my preoccupied thoughts and I suddenly realized I'd been having an argument with Dawn inside my own head. Either that or I was arguing with myself. The irritated look on Dawn's pointed face proved this second option false.

"Not at all," I said cheerfully, smiling up at Soren and the woman called Matilda. "I'm terribly sorry for my coarse behavior, ma-am. I'm just a bit tired and hungry from my travels."

The man who had reprimanded Matilda earlier smiled at me. "It's understandable. I've heard that Kanto is worse off than Johto, though I don't think it makes much difference. Personally if I were you I'd leave this continent and head for Fiore. It's supposedly the most peaceful nation of the Fifteen Powers at the moment." He raised a hand and laughed. "But I've gotten off track. There's a nice hotel not too far from here. I'm sure they have a room. They have a restaurant there as well."

My stomach yowled with pleasure at the word "restaurant" and I was immediately keen on the idea of going to the hotel. "Thank you very much, sir. We'll go there at once!"

The man waved his hand airily. "Don't mention it, young lady. And please, my name is Charles."

"Hmph," said Matilda, turning and stalking off. I could hear her muttering as she went but couldn't make out the words. I was sure they weren't nice.

----

Soren didn't think going to the hotel was a good idea. "They're going to charge us both our arms and legs as well as your Rattata to get a room and decent food. Not many travelers in a time of war which means very little business."

I had to admit he had a point. Fortunately we were able to find a cozy little café called "Locho's Latte" which looked like it was well kept.

After we had sat down and been greeted by a waitress who gave us menus and asked us what we wanted to drink, I voiced a couple of questions to Soren. "Why did you call me Judith earlier? Couldn't you have just used my real name?"

"Judith is my mom's name. First thing that came to mind. And no, I couldn't have used your real name." He paused as the waitress returned with two cokes and a bowl of some kind of juice for Dawn then bustled off to tend to another customer. "Though it's doubtful anyone knows about you yet, word is sure to get out. It's a well known fact that the harder you try to keep something a secret, the more it's going to spread."

"Good point," I said, taking a drink from my glass. It tasted like ordinary coke, but with a hint of something else I couldn't put my finger on. Maybe lime. "This area seems to be against the Greens so that must mean they're with the Whites. It sounds really stupid to be calling the two armies by colors."

'No kidding.'

"Shut up, Dawn."

'You should be a little nicer to me. I could be a very big pest, what with being your soul and all.'

I chose to ignore this but to keep the information in mind. There was no doubt that being able to read each other's thoughts or whatever we could do would be a very annoying thing if used for mischief. "Anyway, from what that woman said, the Greens have something against Pokemon. Could that be why they're at war?"

"More than likely," said Soren with a sigh. He had been watching with partial amusement, partial confusion as Dawn and I had argued with each other. He considered for a moment, stirring his drink with his straw, then asked, "Can you really understand her?" He nodded to Dawn.

"Yeah. Is it really that odd?"

'Of course it is. I'm a mouse. You couldn't understand mice in your world, could you?'

She certainly had a point.

Soren nodded and shrugged at the same time. "For most people it is. There are some who learn to understand their Pokemon's words. Most trainers do, in fact, if they spend enough time with their Pokemon. Like I said back in the forest, I'm starting to understand mine. But the way you two are talking it's as if she's speaking perfect Brogue."

I stared at him in confusion then looked down at Dawn who shrugged. "What's Brogue?"

Soren stared at me, his mouth partially open in amazement. "Come on. You can't tell me you don't know what Brogue is. You're speaking it."

"Err, no. I'm speaking English."

"English?"

'I think the difference between your world and his are starting to show themselves.'

"No kidding." I looked up at Soren who seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Dawn. "In my world, the language we're speaking is called English. After England, a country in Europe."

Soren shrugged at this and said simply, "Brogue is what we call it here. It's the most common form of language and I think it means language." He grinned but didn't say whatever was on his mind because the waitress came back to take our order.

"I'll have the Double Burger and potato strips, please."

"Double Burger and potato strips," said the woman, scribbling on a notepad she was carrying. "And what about you and your little Rattata?"

I glanced at my menu and suppressed a gulp. "Umm, theee," I was looking for shrimp but it seemed unlikely that I'd find it here so I tried the next best thing, "seafood platter." Surely there'd be at least one thing in that mix that would be good.

The waitress scribbled down my order then smiled at Dawn.

'Corn kernels,' the little mouse said simply.

I repeated the order to the waitress who continued to smile as she wrote down the final order and hurried off.

"It must be hard, having everything you've known suddenly become different."

I shrugged and stirred my drink with my straw, thinking. Things weren't too hard at the moment. I had felt ignorant a couple of time, that was natural, but things were similar to what I knew so I was sure things would turn out all right. "Things aren't so different, just the animals and a couple of other things that I should have expected."

"Animals. Hmm, that's what you call the Pokemon in your world, right?"

"I guess you could put it that way. It's not so different with them, either. I mean, we don't battle animals or keep them in Pokeballs, but we do have some as pets. And there are preserves and zoos and parks and such." I stopped, allowing my mind to wander back to the zoo I had visited a few years previously. It had been fun and I had gotten to see a white peacock which was more beautiful than the ones with color, in my opinion at least.

"What kind of animals do you keep as pets?"

"Cats, dogs, birds, gerbils, fish, rabbits, horses, sometimes other, more wild animals like squirrels and chipmunks-" I broke off, grinning at the half confused, half interested look on Soren's face. "They're not all that dissimilar from Pokemon. Cats look like Meowth without the gold charm on their heads; dogs look like Growlithe, gerbils…maybe like Pichu." I didn't bother going into detail because the waitress came back with our food.

"Anything else I can get you, dears?" She asked as she placed a bowl of corn kernels on the floor in front of Dawn.

"No thanks," said Soren, picking up something that looked almost exactly like a french-fry but flatter and wider and taking a bite out of it.

The waitress nodded and bustled off to tend to another customer.

I looked down at the plate of food in front of me and suppressed a gulp. I wasn't picky about trying new things, and many of the things on my plate looked similar to regular seafood back home, but there was no knowing what it was going to taste like. I knew Soren was grinning at me over the top of his hamburger, or whatever it was called in this world. I couldn't blame him. It had to seem extremely funny.

At last I braved a slice of grilled fish and instantly choked. Fish always looked better than it tasted and this was no exception. "What was that?" I asked, spitting out the bit of fish into a napkin.

Soren's mouth was twitching and I knew he was fighting hard not to laugh. "Remoraid, I think. It's usually considered to be quite good."

"That's nice," I said grumpily, eying an odd red thing next to the Remoraid. Again it looked pretty good, but I was much more cautious in taking a bite this time. The taste wasn't too bad, but it was rubbery and not the most pleasant sensation.

"I see you're more prone to the Octillery."

I quickly spat that out too. I didn't care how it tasted, it was octopus and I had always found it amazing anyone could eat that. "Ok, no more guessing games. Tell me what all this stuff is before I eat it."

There was a gagging noise mixed with squeaks coming from below the table. I looked down and saw Dawn rolling around on the floor, choking on a bit of corn but still unable to stop laughing. I bumped her with my foot in irritation but only succeeded in dislodging the kernel from her throat and making her laugh harder.

Soren decided to be sympathetic and agreed to tell me the name of the thing I was about to put in my mouth. "That's a bit of Tentacool, a very acquired taste, those are roasted Magikarp scales, very tasty, and that's breaded Corphish."

I went for the breaded Corphish. I wouldn't have guessed it was anything like shrimp because it was cut into strips like Soren's French-fry things but it was and I ate all of it. I completely ignored the Tentacool. No power on this Earth, or any other, would make me eat it. I did try the Magikarp scales though, and they were quite good.

I took longer to finish eating than Soren or Dawn but I didn't care. The waitress came back and we declined the offer of desert, mainly because I was worried about what we'd get if I asked for a hot fudge sundae. Soren reached into his pocket and withdrew a wallet. I would have gladly helped with the bill but I didn't have any money that I knew of.

'Try the wallet you got from the Alliance. Maybe they added some money.'

"Oh yeah." I reached into my backpack and fished around until I found the wallet. Inside I found some odd looking bills and in the change pocket I found some equally odd coins. I had always had a thing for foreign money and this currency was no different.

"Don't bother," said Soren, glancing at the wallet in my hand. "That's for emergencies. Michel gave me enough to keep us going for a while."

"All right," I replied absently, examining one of the coins. The face imprinted on it was that of an old man with neatly combed hair, an unusually small nose, and sharp eyes.

"That's Henry Urick, the founder of the Silver Conference. It's rumored that he saved a Lugia and in return the beast gave him a scale from its wing. The scale had great powers and gave any creature that held it the power to sense storms. When Urick created the Johto region's annual trainer league, he named it after the scale. Thus, the Silver Conference."

I found this very interesting but didn't voice any questions. Instead I put the coin back in the wallet and the wallet back into my backpack. I looked down at Dawn who was picking a piece of corn out of her teeth. She paused to glance up at me.

_There are many things in this world that are different from ours. However, you shouldn't stick your nose too deeply into most of them. Stick to what you've been set to do._

I frowned at her. _How can I do that when there's so much around here that interests me? Besides, I don't have the faintest clue how to end a war. Maybe learning about the history of this region and the things in it would help._

She shrugged and spat the kernel into the almost empty bowl in front of her. _Maybe it would, but don't rely on it. If you want to get home before the end of the year then you need to concentrate on the important things, even if they're not as interesting._

"Ready to go?" asked Soren, putting his wallet back in his pocket and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Yep," I said cheerfully, doing the same and stretching as I stood. "Where to?"

"That's your call. I'd advise not choosing to go to the next town, at least not by foot. We'll take a bus. We crossed through the woods to get here because no buses travel to Grein Beach but we don't have to do that. Trainers do because it's part of their way of life, but these days it's safer to go by vehicle."

I couldn't argue with this. "All right." I considered. "Goldrenrod City isn't too far from here, is it?"

He laughed. "It's quite far, actually. But we can still go there if you want."

I did want to and Soren said we could catch the next bus we saw. "We should do some shopping first. Get some snacks and a book or two. It'll be a long journey."

I thought this was a perfectly good idea and allowed him to lead the way out of the café.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I stared out the bus window, watching the endless plains rush by. My hand was sore because I had been leaning my head against it for a long time but I didn't shift my position. The day was fading fast and still we were miles from Goldenrod. I wasn't sure if I regretted choosing it as our destination.

Dawn shifted in my lap, stretching her short legs before curling up in a more comfortable position. The book I had purchased earlier was being used as her pillow. I allowed my eyes to flick to it for a moment, grazing the title, then turning my gaze to the grassy stretch again.

Before leaving town we had gone to a place called "Carl's Used Books". They had had a large selection of books, all of which I found interesting. If it had been up to me I would have bought my money's worth, but Soren had insisted I choose only two. After a long, long time of searching I had chosen "Path of the Master" by Charles Eisenhower and "The Lugia's Eye" by Emily Peterson. The latter of the two was Dawn's pillow.

Afterwards, as we were heading for the bus stop, I had spotted another shop and hadn't been able to resist going in. It was "Azalea Trainer's Mart". Again, I had had to be restrained and it had taken all my effort not to go cooing over potions and Pokeballs. Even so, the shop keeper had given me a very odd look when I finally made my purchase. Soren had consented only to two Pokeballs, a Potion, and a Full Heal. That was fine by me.

At last we had made it out of Azalea on a blue bus with a friendly young driver called Ent.

"Faye. Faye. Hey Faye."

I looked up, shaking my head and blinking in confusion. "Yes?" I turned my head and saw Soren staring at me from across the isle.

"You were pretty out of it. Do you always sleep with your eyes open?"

I stretched my arms as best I could and shook my head again. "I wasn't sleeping, I was thinking."

"Ah. Anyway, there's a town coming up. Chinchu, I think. We could stop there then finish the journey to Goldenrod tomorrow."

I stared at him, thinking. Stopping in Chinchu didn't seem like a bad idea, but I really wanted to get to Goldenrod. I didn't know why, but it seemed like the right way to go. Still, there was no point in arriving in the early morning hours and being too exhausted and stiff to walk.

"All right," I said at last, shifting in my seat. "Let's stop in Chinchu."

He nodded and leaned back in his seat. He looked slightly relieved to me and I couldn't blame him. It would have been a long ride if I had insisted on going all the way to Goldenrod.

I shifted again so that my gaze was fixed on the scenery outside the window once more. The sun was gone now, no more than a glimmer of light on the horizon. Stars were blossoming all over the sky, twinkling hypnotically down on me. I was tired. The steady rocking of the bus over the smoothly paved road made me remember the many long car rides I had taken over the years…

_I pulled the blanket tighter around me as the car entered the long, dimly lit tunnel. I hated that tunnel. The orange lights and the echoing of the tires would surely awaken monsters lurking in the shadows._

_"Don't look so cheerful, Faye," said Mom in an amused tone._

_I pulled the blanket over my head and whimpered back, "Make the car go quieter."_

_She laughed and reached back to pat my back. "It's all right sweetie. We're protected from anything bad while we're in here. The people who built this car used magic to make sure nothing could hurt you."_

_I peeked out of the blanket, my five year old eyes glowing in the darkness. "You promise?"_

_"I promise." Her blue eyes sparkled like stars as she smiled at me through the rearview mirror._

_"Okay." I pulled the blanket down and looked out the window again. A moment later the tunnel ended and we were back on the road again. I smiled. Mom had told me the truth. We were safe._

An explosion rocked the bus. Dawn's sharp claws dug deep into my leg as I was jerked awake. "What-" A second explosion jerked us again, causing my head to hit the window.

"Hold on!" screamed Ent. The bus jerked again as the driver turned the wheel violently.

I grabbed Dawn to prevent her from falling. "What's happening?"

"We drove right into a battle zone!" shouted Soren.

I looked at him, horrified, then quickly snatched my bag from the floor, shoved "The Lugia's Eye" inside it, then held both it and Dawn close to me. The few other passengers on the bus screamed as another explosion and a blast of light hit very close to us. I just tightened my grip on Dawn and ducked my head.

Suddenly I heard a whistling sound. I knew what it was, though I had never heard it real life. Dawn pressed herself against my chest and we shared a thought. _Brace yourself._

I was pretty sure I screamed along with everyone else as the bus was blown off the road. Glass shards flew around us and metal screeched as it was dragged against the asphalt. The bus rolled, compressing each side further every time it hit. An eternity passed in a second. Then, at last, the bus skidded to a halt.

I opened my eyes, unsure if I was really still alive. I felt a sharp pain in my leg and a throbbing above my left eye. That had to mean I wasn't dead.

It took a moment for me to come back to my senses. When I did I instinctively looked at the mass of purple fur still clutched in arms. Dawn's red eyes looked up at me and I saw she had a cut along the base of her right ear.

'Faye,' she said quietly, 'we have to get out of here. Check Soren.'

I nodded and tried to stand up. My seatbelt yanked me back into my seat and I had trouble finding the latch to release it. Finally I was free and stood up. My leg let out a throb of protest but I ignored it and pulled myself across the isle towards Soren. I was relieved to see him fighting with his own seatbelt. I offered some assistance then pulled him up.

"Faye, your leg," he started, but I cut him off.

"It looks worse than it is." I didn't know what it looked like but it didn't hurt too badly so it couldn't be that bad. "Let's check the rest of the passengers."

There had only been three others on the bus with us and all of them were alive. We helped them up then headed to the front to check on Ent as they limped out the back doors.

The young man was bent over in his seat, his head leaning on the steering wheel. I reached out and shook him on the shoulder. "Ent, come on, hurry." There was no response. I pulled on his shoulder so that his head was lifted from the steering wheel. I pressed my hand over my mouth and backed away. Ent slumped back in his seat, a thin trickle of blood falling from his partially open mouth. His brown eyes gazed sightlessly into space, unaware of the blood trickling down his face.

Soren pulled me down the steps and out of the bus. The sound of distant gunfire met us as we made our way over the grass towards the small group of people waiting not far away. I followed without complaint, unable to rid my mind of what I had just seen.

'Look out!' Dawn's high voice slashed through my numb brain like a knife.

I grabbed Soren's wrist and yanked him back, causing him to stumble.

'Get down!'

I dropped to my knees, pulling Soren with me.

Ahead of us we saw the three other passengers being herded away by figures with lights. One of the lights flashed over one of the figures and I caught sight of white camouflage. We had walked right into White soldiers. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing and I didn't really want to find out.

'On the ground, move slowly. Keep away from the road.'

I whispered Dawn's instructions to Soren. He hesitated for a moment but didn't seem to be able to come up with an alternative plan. We moved as quickly as we could but I was slowed by the throbbing in my leg. I tried to use my left leg and arms as much as I could but all that did was wear me out quicker.

Suddenly there were footsteps nearby and several lights flashed over us. "On your feet!"

I hoped against hope that the guy wasn't talking to us, but he was. Reluctantly I sat up, looking around at the five uniformed soldiers, and put my hands in the air. Beside me, Soren did the same. Dawn leapt in front of me and bared her fangs, growling.

The soldiers considered her for a moment then one of them stepped forward, around Dawn, and pulled me to my feet. "Come with us. It's not safe. We have a camp not far from here."

I glanced over at Soren who was getting to his feet, but neither of us spoke. Dawn jumped into my arms, still growling as we followed the soldiers at a fast pace away from the battlefield. The sound of gunfire faded away as we moved further.

I soon became tired and slowed. Exhaustion set in and I felt myself becoming woozy. I knew I had to go on, but I wasn't sure if I could. Dawn began fidgeting in my arms, sensing my discomfort. I heard her whispering words of comfort at the back of my mind and tried not to think about anything else.

At long last we came to a mess of tents. Another uniformed soldier was standing guard as we approached. The man leading us stopped and saluted him. "Two more civilians, wounded. Requesting medical care for them, sir."

The guard nodded and jerked his head towards the camp. I swayed as I put weight on my right leg, then again as I transferred the weight to my left. When I put my weight on my right leg again it collapsed beneath me. Exhaustion took over and I was out before I hit the ground.

"Hey, doctor, quick, she's waking up."

Soren's voice greeted me as my groggy mind pulled itself back to consciousness. I allowed a faint groan to escape me and turned my head away from the light shining in my still closed eyes. A hand forced my eyelid open and the light stung as it hit.

"Do you mind?" I muttered sleepily, pushing the hand away irritably.

"Pupil reaction normal and she's obvious gotten her strength back. She'll be fine."

"Easy for you to say," I growled, trying to unglue my other eyelid.

"You'd think that nap would have made you cheerful, not cranky."

I scowled as I managed to get my eyes open and pushed myself up on my elbows. Soren grinned at me through the haze of light around him. "The bed wasn't comfortable," I snapped, trying to use my hand the block the light from me eyes until they adjusted.

"Can't argue with that. Cots usually aren't."

'I thought it was perfectly comfortable.'

"Shut up, Dawn."

I took my hand away from eyes and looked down at the grinning mouse sitting beside me. Her right ear had a bandage on it. She looked like she had just woken up as well and I wondered if she had passed out when I had.

The cheeky little rat answered my question without me having to ask. 'No, you fell on me. You could stand to lose a few pounds.' She scratched her uninjured ear with her back paw.

"Hmph," I snorted, pushing her off the cot I was lying on. I turned my attention back to Soren and saw him grinning through his confusion. I decided that translating Dawn's words from now on wouldn't be a bad idea.

'I'm gonna bite your ear off,' squeaked the little Rattata, hopping back onto the cot and showing me her teeth.

Ok, maybe I'd only translate some of what Dawn said. I removed my eyes from Soren's face and looked around. I was in a tent of some kind. That was obvious from the color and material of the walls. It was a fairly large area with cots spread out in the lines across the floor. It was probably the first aide tent. I could see a few of the cots on the other side of the room had occupants but most of them were sitting up.

"How does your leg feel?" asked Soren who was watching me.

I shrugged. I honestly couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary where my leg was concerned. My head felt fine as well. I raised a hand to feel the place where there had been pain before and felt soft cloth there. I would have checked my leg too but I suddenly became aware of what was preventing me from feeling any pain. An IV needle was taped neatly to my wrist.

Instantly my arm started twitching and after a moment of nausea I reached over, peeled back the tape, and carefully removed the needle.

"Hey, I don't think-" Soren began hastily, but I had already dropped the needle and wrapped my wrist in part of the thin sheet covering me.

"I don't like needles," I said hoarsely, massaging the area where the evil thing had been stuck in me.

Dawn rolled her eyes, though her paw was twitching. Either it was because my arm was still complaining, or more likely it was sympathetic. I got that when I saw someone get hurt. If someone sprained their ankle in front of me my own ankle would ache a little.

Soren looked like he was having trouble not imitating Dawn and I felt this was a good time to change the subject. "Can we get out of here any time soon?"

He frowned and shook his head. "I doubt he it," he said quietly, glancing around. "We're not native to this region which means they have no right to hold us, but they have to make sure we're trustworthy. Dawn isn't enough to prove we're not with the Greens."

I frowned as well, thinking. The Whites and the Greens fight definitely had something to do with Pokemon, but what was it? Asking the soldiers wouldn't do. Revealing my ignorance would only make them suspicious, though I doubted they'd ever guess I was from a different world.

Soren seemed to guess what I was thinking, I could see it in his orange-brown eyes, but he didn't say anything because a soldier in white walked over. I eased my arm back onto the cot in the hopes he wouldn't notice I had removed the IV needle.

"I need to see your identifications," he said simply, his face impassive.

I gave him a quick look over, hard features, neatly shaven, not really what I'd call hansom but a very serious demeanor. Soren opened his backpack and produced a wallet. He removed a card from it and handed it to the soldier who looked at it, frowned, looked at Soren, then said, "What would someone like you be doing here?"

"My brother sent me out of the country for safety reasons. It's secret information and I'm not allowed to disclose it."

The soldier stared at Soren a moment longer then shrugged and handed the card back. "Be careful," he said simply. He then turned his attention on me and I gulped. I didn't have any identification.

Dawn hopped down and nipped at my backpack. I reached down and opened it, fished around, and removed my wallet. I couldn't see what the point was but I opened it and saw to my surprise a card, much like the one Soren had just replaced in his wallet. My picture was very clear and I was wearing the same clothes I had on now. The information on me was written on the card. Name, age, skin color, hair color, eye color, native region. I was amused to see that I was from Hoenn but not so amused to see that the name on the card was my actual name.

"Very well, Ms. Ilene." He handed the card back to me, hesitated as if to say something, then marched off.

I allowed a sigh and looked over at Soren. I was surprised to see him suppressing a grin. "What's so funny?"

"Watching you fidget while getting your ID."

I scowled. "I didn't even know I had one. I never had my picture taken or anything-"

Soren cut me off, still grinning. "Your picture was taken in the room you arrived in. Nifty, eh? Trevor made the card and sent it to me before you even left the island. He felt it would be better for me to hang onto it seeing as you were still new to-" he stopped abruptly, glancing around.

I just nodded. "So when did you put it in my wallet?"

'While you were sleeping,' Dawn offered, licking a paw in a dignified sort of way.

Soren seemed to have guessed what Dawn had said because he just nodded. "Anyway," he continued, lowering his voice so that I could barely hear him, "I think it would be best for us to get out of here as soon as possible. We don't want to stay in the company of the military too long. That will lead to trouble."

I couldn't argue with this logic. Besides, these guys were the ones who had attacked our bus. At least I thought it was them. Even if it wasn't, it was partly their fault because they started up a fight near a civilian road.

I started to pull the sheet off me so I could get up but Dawn whacked me with one of her paws. At the same time I became aware of something rather embarrassing and hastily pulled the covers back up to my chest. I looked around and spotted my blood stained jeans lying beside my bed. Wonderful.

'They didn't have any time to spare getting you patched up. It was only Soren's quick thinking that stopped them from taking a knife to your pants.' I flinched but she Dawn continued quickly, 'He left before they started working on you.'

I stared at her in a half relieved, half accusing way. "I thought you were knocked out."

'Oh, I was, but I woke up while they were carrying us in and watched them sew you up. You had a nasty gash in your leg. I'm amazed you didn't notice how bad it was, but it was a rather hectic scene. I'm sure there was enough adrenaline pumping through you to prevent you from noticing if your head was cut off.'

I chose to ignore the last bit and agree with the rest. "Sooo…what do I do?"

'Simple.' Dawn stood, stretched her small body, and bounded lightly onto Soren's head. 'Don't you know it's rude to stare?'

While Soren was busy wrestling with Dawn, I snatched my jeans from the floor and pulled them on under the covers. Soren noticed but pretended he hadn't for which I was grateful.

Once I was sufficiently covered I tossed the sheet aside and stood up shakily. My right leg was stiff and twinged a little, but was otherwise fine. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and looked around. The nearest exit was to our left and would be hard to sneak out of.

'They can't legally hold you,' said Dawn quietly, hopping onto my shoulder to talk to me. 'You're not from this region and neither is Soren. Plus he's the brother of a leader. If they tried to force him to stay they'd risk getting into a tussle with Hoenn and I'm sure they don't want to do that.'

I repeated this information to Soren who agreed. "She's right. I don't know about anyone else, though. I haven't seen any sign of the other passengers since they were captured, but I'm sure they were escorted to the nearest town or something." He glanced around and added, "Let's just start walking. If they say anything to us I'll remind them of who I am and if that doesn't work we can run."

I gave an uneasy laugh, moving my hand over the bloodstained cut in my jeans. Though I was not in any large amount of pain, I would still have a lot of trouble running. Still, if I had to I would.

Without another word I followed Soren towards the exit. I kept my eyes straight ahead but noticed a roll of fresh bandages out of the corner of my eye. I paused for a minute, contemplating then took it. It had been mostly used up so it probably wouldn't be of much use to the people here but I could find something to do with it.

We neared the exit and the soldier who had looked at our IDs marched over. "Excuse me," he said roughly, "but you are still injured and I cannot allow you to leave yet."

"The doctor said I was fine," I said brightly, shrugging. This wasn't a complete lie. The doctor who had examined me earlier had said I would be ok.

The soldier grunted and looked around, trying to locate the doctor. Once he had spotted him he commanded me to remain where I was and walked over to speak with him. I looked at Soren, he looked back at me, then we bolted. I had to move at a very awkward pace but I was managing to get some speed up. The guard didn't even notice.

It was still dark and soon we were moving quickly through the camp, ducking every time we heard movement, until at last we came to edge. Another guard was sitting there, looking across the empty plains with a rifle on his lap. I was not big on guns or on getting shot and looked at Soren for an idea.

'Why don't we create a distraction?'

"Good idea."

Soren looked doubtful when I repeated the information. "How would we do that?"

"You have Pokemon, right?" He nodded slowly. "Just have them use an attack or something."

He gave me a very long look and I spotted the flaw in this plan before he explained it. "What are the chances of him not noticing where the attack came from?"

"Err…very slim. Maybe we could just…" I trailed off, noticing that Dawn had stiffened. She whispered a troubling bit of information in my ear and I had to sigh as I turned around.

"Ms. Ilene, you are still too injured to be pulling stunts like that." It was the doctor the guard had gone to speak to. The guard was behind him, looking angry.

"I'm fine," I said hurriedly. "I just want to get out of here."

The doctor smiled which was comforting. "Quite understandable. I tell you what. Why don't you join the rest of your companions on the jeep to Hietus Village? You can finish recovering there without being at risk. I'm sure Mr. Moore wouldn't object." He gave Soren a polite smile.

"No, sir," Soren said, bowing slightly. "Forgive us, we were just anxious after last night-"

"Yes, that was very unfortunate. However I assure you, you are in no more danger." He motioned with a hand and said, "This way. The jeep will be leaving in about ten minutes."

I had a strong sense of foreboding, but what could I do? At least we'd get a free ride out of here. Reluctantly, I followed the silent guard back through the camp. Soren looked at me and I could see he didn't like the situation any better than I did but that we just had to put up with it for the time being.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

As I sat on the rough bark of a large log massaging my aching leg I wondered if things could possibly get any worse. Dawn was still out and I could feel the same darkness clawing at the corners of my own mind. Exhaustion, fear, confusion, pain, all muddled together to form one huge lump of misery.

Sunlight seeped through the trees, illuminating small patches of light here and there along the forest floor. It had to be around noon, perhaps later. The time didn't really matter, though. We couldn't go anywhere until everyone was rested enough to make the journey to whatever town was nearest, not that I was very keen on a lot of walking at the moment.

I sighed and rested my face in my hands. The dirt from my hands caused a scratch on my cheek to sting and for a brief moment I wondered about infection. The thought passed and slowly images began to flash through my mind. The bus crash, Ent, the military camp, the jeep, the battle… Before I could stop it, sleep snatched me away.

_The jeep had been waiting at the west end of the camp. The other three passengers from the bus were already seated comfortably inside it. Two of them were bandaged like me and Dawn but the third seemed to be fine, like Soren. I wondered briefly why they were so lucky but was forced to abandon the thought as I was bustled into the jeep beside a woman with stringy brown hair._

_"Hello, dear," the woman said, smiling as she moved over to make some more room. "You're that girl who helped me off the bus, aren't you?"_

_"Yes, ma-am," I said politely._

_Her smile widened and she shifted to offer her hand. I took it as she said, "My name is Katherine. Katherine Legna."_

_"Faye Ilene."_

_"Pleasure to meet you, Faye."_

_"Same."_

_Dawn nudged her way into my lap and smiled mousishly at Katherine. 'Name's Dawn, just Dawn. I guess I could be called Dawn Ilene, but that sounds stupid.'_

_I considered thwacking the rat in her injured ear but decided that would be a bad idea as she was very close to my wounded leg. Instead I put on a falsely bright smile and said, "This is my Rattata, Dawn."_

_Katherine made a little cooing sound. "Isn't she just adorable? I've always loved Rattata. May I?"_

_"Sure."_

_She smiled and reached out to rub Dawn's uninjured ear. Dawn made a purring sound in her throat and closed her eyes lazily._

_The jeep moved out quickly and continued at a good speed as it circled the camp and headed for Hietus Village. I had never heard of our destination so I knew absolutely nothing about it. I pictured a small, quaint little town with old fashioned houses and people in old fashioned clothing. I was sure this was incorrect but it was possible._

_Everyone was quiet as the jeep pulled onto a road and picked up more speed. I felt nervous and looked around several times. Being on an open road didn't seem as safe as it had before, especially not in the dark. I was sure the sky was beginning to brighten, but it was so faint that I knew daybreak to be a long ways off._

_Time seemed to crawl by. The patch of trees we were driving by stretched endlessly and the cold wind snatched at my face and arms. I struggled to pull my jacket out of my backpack, apologizing over and over to Katherine who I elbowed about ten times. She took it all in good spirits and simply tried to make herself smaller._

_Bundled as best as I could be against the wind, I took Dawn in my arms and scrunched myself into a ball. Katherine soon followed suit. I wanted to tell the driver to put up the roof to help block the wind but my teeth were chattering too much. I wasn't sure if there was a roof, anyway._

_Eventually I fell into a kind of stupor, or maybe I just went to sleep. Dawn stayed awake. Exactly how I knew I wasn't sure. Perhaps it was just a dream, but I thought I saw the scenery continuing to rush by, even though my eyes were closed. Everything had a tint of blue to it, though._

_The forest changed into country road. Plains rushed by and in the distance the lights of a town glimmered. There was a sudden movement and the only thing I could see was my own shirt then darkness. At the same moment I was jerked into consciousness by something slamming into my chest. I jumped and took a quick breath before someone placed a hand on my head and forced me down._

_An explosion sounded and the jeep was tossed roughly off the road. The crash wasn't as bad as the bus but this time we had no roof. There was a lot of yelling and cursing but eventually we came to a stop on the grass. The jeep was the right way up and seemed to be in decent shape, as did its passengers._

_I lifted my head and looked around. The top of the jeep had protected all of us from getting our heads bashed in and everyone was still moving. It seemed as though we were just a little shaken. Well, my leg was throbbing again, probably from the increase in my heart rate. I felt a rush of irritation wash over me and was about to say something when the soldiers in the front stood up. As one they raised their guns and looked around them._

_"Stay where you are," one of them barked at us._

_I gave a little cough and scowled. "Tch, that's two crashes in one day. Both your fault. If you don't mind-"_

_"Shut up," he growled at me._

_It was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. I bristled in the manner of Dawn and opened my mouth to retort, then closed it again as the soldier aimed his rifle at me._

_"You are a civilian in a war zone. It is our job to protect you until you are taken to safety. Until such time you are to obey any orders given to you. Do you understand?"_

_I had never had anything more menacing than a laser tag gun pointed at me. Always I had fancied myself to be brave; the type of person who would laugh when in the situation I was in now. I had always thought I would scoff and tell the guy to stop acting all macho and get lost. I didn't. Instead I just stayed silent with a mix of anger and fear on my face._

_There was a moment of complete silence, then I felt something hit my chest. The next second a ball of purple fur was snarling as it slashed with sharp claws at the soldiers face. The man yelled and jerked before firing into the air. The other soldiers turned at the sound of the commotion but were met by a flash of light as Soren tossed something into the air._

_I didn't pause to see what was going to happen next. I grabbed the door handle, found it locked, cursed fluently, and heaved myself out the side. The sound of Dawn's snarling drew my attention back to her fight with the soldier who had still been unable to detach her from his face. "Dawn!"_

_The little mouse released her prey and ran towards me. The soldier's face was a mess of blood and scratches. He howled in fury and turned his rifle on the retreating Rattata. "Look out!" I charged forward, or tried to. My bad leg sent me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. The next second I heard a gun shot._

_Still unable to breath properly I looked up and saw Dawn still scampering towards me. I frowned, squinting. The fall had evidently been worse than I had thought because my eyes weren't working right. Dawn's outline was blurred._

_I ignored this and pushed myself to my knees. Looking over at the jeep I saw the other passengers sprinting away from the battle. Dawn reached me and began pushing me in an effort to make me rise. I tried to stand but my leg collapsed beneath me again. Dawn growled and sank razor sharp teeth into my hand._

_I yelled and fell backwards then sprang up again. My hand hurt so badly that I didn't even notice the lack of pain in my leg. As I started off after the others, thoughts of repaying Dawn later rushing through my mind, I thought I saw something running at me. The next second there was a flash of light and the thing fell._

_"What-"_

_'Go!' The little Rattata was already bounding ahead._

_I glanced back and saw Soren shouting something to a large, three headed bird. There was a moment of hesitation, then I stopped running._

_'Faye!' Called my voice of reason. 'What are you doing? Keep going!'_

_I turned, then turned back. I couldn't leave Soren to fight on his own. "Come on, Dawn!" I called, starting towards him._

_'You're crazy!' But she followed._

"Hey, Faye, you awake?" I jumped and blinked, squinting at the plump woman standing before me.

"Oh, hey, Georgia. Yeah, I'm awake."

"Good. We're gonna hold a meeting in a little while. Decide what ta do, ya know?"

I smiled as I nodded at her. Georgia was a kind woman, if a bit pompous. Her round face was splotched with dirt but her black eyes shone so brightly I hardly noticed.

"You're still asleep," she said good naturedly, giving me a playful shove that nearly sent me to the ground.

"True enough," I mumbled. I looked around and saw Dawn still asleep.

"Do ya want me to wake your little Rattata?"

"No thanks. She can sleep a bit longer."

Georgia nodded in an approving sort of way. "You take good care of 'er, she's a feisty spirit. Very much like you. Funny how that seems to work out, doesn't it?"

I grinned but forced a few coughs to conceal my amusement. "Yeah," I said when I'd recovered, "it is."

She gave me a pat on the shoulder and bustled off. I yawned and stretched, feeling the bandage on my hand and wrist strain to keep the wounds closed. I couldn't help smiling. My wrist was my own fault but I had Dawn to thanks for the ache in my hand. The small amount of bandages I had stolen from the medical tent had all been used to rewrap my leg as well as my other injuries. This journey wasn't as fun as I had pictured it being.

S_oren seemed surprised when I darted over with Dawn racing behind me. His Dodrio was letting out a high pitched squawk as it powered up some sort of attack that was aimed at a lump of retreating darkness._

_"How many were there?" I asked, puzzled. I had been sure there were only three soldiers with us in the jeep. Dawn had slowed one, a second had just been hit, oh yeah, this made three._

_"Three," said Soren nonchalantly. "Why did you come back? You should be heading for the trees with everyone else."_

_I glanced back at the retreating figures and shrugged. "Can't let you have all the fun, can I?"_

_"You don't have much of a choice."_

_He had a point. His Dodrio let out another squawk as it sprinted forward, leaped into the air, and fired a blast of light at the last soldier. He fell to the ground and didn't get back up._

_"He'll be fine. That attack wasn't enough to kill a ten year old. Now com-"_

_A roar of rage sounded behind us followed by a loud bang. Neither of us had time to move before the bullet whizzed so close to my face I could hear it whistle. I gulped and turned. Dawn's scratching post was aiming his rifle at us, fury on his face. "Get down!" He screamed._

_I wasn't sure what to do. Again I wanted to remain standing and do something, but that seemed like a foolish move. Still, I couldn't just surrender. Acting like a coward was shameful and would only haunt me later. But what reason did I have to risk my life in a fight with soldiers who were supposedly allies?_

_…Oh right, chosen one, hero, savior of the world, that thing. Why me? I straightened up and put on a defiant expression as I stepped forward. "You have no right trying to force us to do anything!" I called to him. I could see his shoulders tense at my words. The light of the sun was creeping up behind me, giving me a clear view of him._

_"You have deliberately interfered in a military affair and are therefore guilty of treason! Surrender or I will be forced to fire!"_

_I pondered this for about half a second before saying something stupid. "You interfered with my ride to Goldenrod! If anyone should be surrendering it's you because you screwed with us first!"_

**BAM!**

_I didn't have time to do anything but brace for impact. Then something strange happened. Time slowed down. I could see the bullet inching its way towards me. Unsure whether this was just me seeing my own death in slow motion or whether things really had slowed down, I put out of my hand. At the same moment Dawn leapt into the air._

_For a second her outline blurred blue again, then she opened her mouth and sent a blast of energy at the bullet. The small missile was swallowed by the blast as it hit. But the messy orb of light didn't stop there. It continued, leaving a small bit of powder hanging in the air, then hit the soldier dead on._

_Time sped back up. The powder fell harmlessly to the ground and the soldier collapsed without a sound. Dawn fell to the ground as I stared on, wide eyed. The hand I was holding up was surrounded for the briefest moment in a faint blue light._

_For a moment, all was still. Then the glow was gone and I was running towards the limp Rattata on the ground. She was snoozing soundly by the time I lifted her into my arms and I didn't try to wake her. I swayed and felt someone grip my shoulders._

_"Faye," said Soren's far away voice._

_I turned to grin at him. He was looking at me in a very curious way. Part confusion, part relief, and part something else. Maybe respect._

_"Come on. We should go find the others. They're probably at the trees by now."_

_I nodded and allowed him to support me towards the distant trees._

_It took a fairly short time to reach them. Soon we were winding our way through branches and leaves, pushing aside bushes and stumbling over roots as we went. Eventually we heard voices and found ourselves in a clearing being greeted by relieved faces._

_Soren and a man with black hair talked in low voices as Katherine and a larger lady called Georgia helped me rebandage my leg. The wound was closed but tender and a little pink._

_"That could mean the start of an infection," said Georgia in a worried tone._

_"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it right now," Katherine sighed, securing the bandage with deft fingers._

_"We could wash these filthy jeans." Georgia held up my blood stained pants and scowled at them._

_"I'll be sure to have them cleaned when I get to the next town," I assured her._

_Once I was patched up as best as I could be I made a little nest of leaves and placed Dawn gently on it then moved off to help gather wood for a fire. Once one had been successfully lit and everyone had settled down I seated myself on a log to go over the events of the night. Very soon reality began to sink in and I finally began to realize what I had gotten myself into._

"You weren't supposed to fall asleep again," Georgia teased as she shook me awake.

"Huh? Oh…sorry." I rubbed my eyes and looked at her. I pushed myself up, puzzled for a moment over when I had lain down, then shrugged it off and got to my feet. "When's that meeting thing?"

"We're about to start. Come on." She dragged me over to the fire where Soren, Katherine, and the black haired man were waiting. "I caught her sleeping on the job again, Soren. When are you gonna do something about this girl?"

Soren chuckled. "Soon as we get some more help I'll fire her."

"If anyone's gonna fire anyone it's me firing you," I grumbled, plopping down Indian style beside him.

He grinned and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. "You wouldn't fire me."

I considered this. I didn't really know Soren very well. He had a sense of humor and was good looking, but that was about all I knew, apart from his region and relation to the leader of Hoenn. He also had a serious side to him which he adopted when he saw I didn't feel like playing around anymore.

"Anyway, to order. First let's get the introductions over with. I think most of you already know each other?"

There was a general murmur of agreement. I kind of grunted then looked at the black haired man. "I'm Faye."

"Robert," the man replied blandly.

"Pleasure."

"Same."

For a moment we looked at each other, not saying a word, then we grinned. The complete lack of interest in the way we had made our introductions was, for some reason, rather amusing. I decided to give the guy a closer look. He was probably in his late thirties/early forties and in pretty good shape. To call him good looking was a stretch; he was pretty far from it, though not ugly, exactly. His eyes were interesting though. I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I looked I saw that they were a very bright violet.

"All right, introductions complete," Soren began cheerily, "it's time to get this meeting started. Very straightforward stuff. What do we do now?"

We all looked at each other but no one spoke. I avoided the others eyes because I didn't want to say what was on my mind. I knew very well what we had to do, or at least what I had to do, but I wasn't sure I wanted to. The easiest way to solve things would be to continue to Goldenrod. I just knew there was something there that would help.

"Perhaps we should make our way to Hietus Village," said Katherine hesitantly.

"No," I said, so quickly everyone stared. I didn't falter. "Hietus is where those military…guys were gonna take us. Going there would be a bad idea."

"She has a point." Soren frowned, thinking. "Perhaps we should try to get to Chinchu instead. That was our destination before."

No one seemed to have any objections to this. I felt relieved by the suggestion and was quick to give my consent. "So when do we leave?"

"As soon as everyone's ready to go."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

We walked until sundown. I fell into pace with Georgia because the journey seemed to be the hardest for her. Being talkative was something I could be if I felt like it, but throughout most of the journey I just felt like staying quiet. I needed all my energy to keep moving and there wasn't much to talk about anyway.

Time passed in a haze of forest and plains and the soft murmur of the wind was the only sound that intruded upon our small group. Every now and then someone would say something in a vain attempt to start a conversation but they only received a short response then silence. After a while there were no more attempts because we were all too exhausted to speak.

The pain in my leg was present only for the very beginning of the journey. After that it seemed to give up and reduced itself to a dull throb of weary protest. I ignored it and focused all my energies on walking. Dawn had woken up shortly before we left but I had to carry her for a while due to the fact that she was still very groggy. I wanted very much to talk to her about the things that had happened but I didn't. It could wait until we were both feeling better.

Darkness fell without warning and we were forced to camp in the middle of a dry stretch of plains. Not having any shelter was unnerving and the lack of materials to build a fire was irritating. The little bit of food that we had wasn't enough to fully fill two people, let alone five. Still, we divided the rations between us equally and the food helped.

Night was growing thicker and thicker as time went on. Everyone had fallen asleep but I couldn't. Dawn stayed awake with me. She seemed to know what was wrong.

'You didn't go camping much as a kid. You can't be expected to feel at home in the outdoors like they do.'

I sighed and shifted in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. "But I do feel at home outside. I just…never slept on the ground before. Not without something under me. Even though I don't think there are bugs in the grass I can't help feeling them and it's cold."

'That's because of the clouds.'

"Clouds?" I rolled onto my back and stared up at the sky. No stars were visible and only a dim glimmer proved that the moon existed tonight. "Oh man, I hope it doesn't rain."

'It won't make a difference if it does. It might actually help. Your leg needs tending.'

I turned to scowl at the little Rattata. Why did she have to remind me about it? When I wasn't thinking about my leg it didn't bother me. Now I was thinking about it and it bothered me again. "Why did you have to bring that up?"

'Because it's important. If we don't reach Chinchu by tomorrow your leg will undoubtedly become infected. That bandage should be changed every day.'

I shook my head and ran a hand over the tender area on my thigh. "Don't worry about it, Dawn. I think it's healing. It feels better than it did before, anyway. Right now I just want to sleep."

There was a silence, then a raindrop landed on my face. "Oh fu…why? Couldn't the rain have waited until daylight, at least? Now I'll never get to sleep."

"And I'll never stay asleep."

I sat up quickly and turned to see Robert looking over at me. A few more raindrops fell from the sky then stopped. "I don't think it's going to rain much yet," I said sleepily. "You can't really smell the rain. There's never going to be much rain unless you can smell it…usually."

"True." He smiled and stretched his arms over his head. "So, what are your plans after getting to Chinchu? Going to head back to Hoenn?"

I wondered briefly how he knew I was from Hoenn, or at least supposed to be, but then I realized that Soren had probably informed all of them of where we were from. "No, we, I still have stuff to do in Johto."

"Ah," he paused, eying me for a moment. "How long have you known Soren?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. A week at most. Actually, I don't think it's even been that long. I-" I stopped, realizing I had been about to give away far more information than was wise. I hesitated a moment then continued quickly, "I met him on my way to Johto and we decided to start traveling together."

"I see. So, he's like your boyfriend? Or are you his bodyguard?"

I had to laugh. "No. My boyfriend's name is Jake and…and he's back in…Hoenn. Me and Soren are just friends and I guess he's kind of more of the battler because he has more Pokemon than me." I looked away, thinking of Jake and then of Jessica and Hope. What were they doing and feeling right now?

"Well, whatever your relation, you two are an odd sight. I'm glad there are still trainers who travel the region. I just have one more question, if that's all right."

"Shoot," I said absently.

"Why are you traveling? Just the experience or is there something more? I know you're not going after badges or looking to compete in contests because the gyms were closed to encourage those thinking of becoming trainers to stay home. And the contests are nothing like they used to be. They're just beauty pageants, really."

I looked at him, seeing something gleaming in his violet eyes that disturbed me. I couldn't place what it was but I didn't like it. I had seen it before somewhere. Where? When? The hair on the back of my neck prickled and I had to work to keep my voice pleasant. "This war won't last forever. When it's over and things go back to normal I want to know the country I'm traveling in. Soren's just here for…well, I'm not sure, really. He just said it's safety or something."

Robert stared at me as if trying to see if I was telling the truth or not. At last he shrugged and said, "I suppose that's understandable." With that he stood up and walked away without another word.

A raindrop fell and suddenly I shivered. That look…"Greed?"

----

It didn't rain the next day but it was incredibly humid. I was out of energy before we started off and I could see that everyone was feeling the same effects. The walk was almost unbearable and it was made worse by the constantly rising temperature. The ever thickening clouds helped a little but it felt more like the heat and humidity were being trapped around us.

Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, Chinchu came into view. It was a regular town, not too dissimilar to the one I lived in, and the best part was there was no sign of the military. The brief encounter we had had with them made me want to never see a white uniform again.

Voicing that thought to myself jinxed us as I should have known it would. No sooner had we reached the center of town than we saw a group of people on a platform, some wearing white camouflage.

Though it was highly unlikely that any of these guys would have heard about us, we hid ourselves in the thickest part of the crowd gathered around the platform and did our best not to look suspicious.

"The dogs in green are being driven further back every day and their numbers are beginning to dwindle!"

There was a cheer from the crowd. The man speaking looked like a higher ranking officer than the ones who had tried to escort us to Hietus. Medals gleamed on his chest and his uniform was darker in color.

"People of Chinchu! Though our victory seems assured, we cannot let down our guard and was cannot show any mercy to our enemies! We must continue to fight, harder than ever, if we are to truly prevail! We must fight until there is nothing left of those dogs! We must increase our forces, increase our courage, and shower our wrath on the Greens! The Defenders will prevail!"

The crowd cheered and clapped more ferociously than before as the White speaker took a moment to breathe. Before he could continue his rant, I tugged on Soren's arm and began to inch my way out of the crowd. He grabbed my wrist and shook his head. "We need to know. We need to hear this," he said quietly.

There was no doubt that he was right. I knew nothing about this war and nothing about the two sides fighting it. Still, listening to this guy go on and on about the "green dogs" was making me feel sick. I never did like war propaganda but I'd never been this close to it and none I had ever seen was like this.

"All those who are able should join us and fight for this land! Do not let it fall into the hands of the dogs!"

At least we had come near the end, it seemed. The officer stepped aside to allow another man to step up and speak. He talked about how people could join the Defenders and added more on how their cause, whatever that was, was the greatest and that they should fight for it.

Finally Soren agreed we could leave. I felt rather bitter towards him, though I knew he had been right to stay. Still, we were supposed to be a team and…no, that wasn't right. We weren't a team, were we? He was my escort and I was the Chosen One. Then, which one of us was supposed to be in charge?

Katherine, Georgia, and Robert departed shortly after that. Each of them had their own place to be just like me and Soren. The place we needed to be at the moment was somewhere to rest and wash up. My clothes were so dirty that the blood wasn't all that noticeable which was a good thing, but I had never wanted a shower more in my life.

We booked two rooms at a cheap motel. I asked Soren why we couldn't stay at a Pokemon Center as they were supposed to be free, but he said they had been closed long ago.

The shower felt wonderful. I was so grateful for it that all other thoughts were washed from my mind. Dawn, who wasn't quite as dirty as I was, decided to be cute and jumped at the shower curtain a couple of times, trying to make me think Soren was outside.

"Quit being annoying," I snapped at her after she had done this about ten times.

'I am not being annoying. You're taking forever!'

"I've been traveling through forest and sleeping on the ground and I haven't had a shower in a week! I'm allowed to take as long as I bloody want!"

'You're going to use up all the hot water in the motel!'

I rolled my eyes and looked down at the stitched cut in my leg. It looked like it was almost healed, oddly enough. It didn't hurt when I touched it, either. I was very glad of this.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. After drying myself off and wrapping a towel around myself I poked my head out of the bathroom and saw that the maid I had asked earlier to have my clothes cleaned was just returning. I smiled.

"Perfect timing. Could you bring them over here?"

"Of course, Madam. Nasty cut you had on your leg. That's why it took so long to get your clothes clean."

I smiled again, more sheepishly this time. "Yeah. I took a nasty fall. There's a nice bump on my head, too." I pointed to the smaller wound on my head which had healed very nicely as well.

The maid smiled and handed me my clothes. "You are lucky, Madam. I wish you good fortune later on."

After she had left I put my clothes back on and gave myself a look over in the mirror. I was surprised to find that I didn't look too different from the girl I had been before coming to Johto. Same skin, same hair, same eyes…only with a slightly harder, more mature look about them.

'You look absolutely dazzling and beautiful. Now stop contemplating your reflection and do something useful.'

I scowled and decided that it was time Dawn took her shower. She didn't seem to appreciate the warm water as much as I had and attempted to bite me in the hand again. I laughed and let her go before turning off the water again.

'Wet, wet, wet,' Dawn said irritably, shaking herself but failing to get more than a few drops of water on me.

The hole in my jeans had been clumsily sewn and I was pretty sure they would tear again eventually, but I ignored it. There was no point in worrying about something trivial like that. At the moment I needed to do some thinking and decide what to do next.

There was a knock on the door and Soren came in. His clothes had been cleaned as well and his hair was as wet as mine. Apparently he had just gotten out of the shower, too.

"So, where are we going to go, now?" My question was voiced out of courtesy only. I already knew where we needed to go but I felt it would be easier if Soren wanted to go there too.

"I don't know. To a battle, I suppose," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Surely that's the place where you can start your mission."

I stared at him. This was not what I had expected. Running straight into a battle seemed like a very, very bad idea to me. "I, err, well, I don't know if that's the best idea. I was thinking more along the lines of Goldenrod…"

Soren gave me a long look before saying in an oddly cold tone, "You need to stop messing around. You can go sightseeing any time but this region is in trouble. You need to help it before there's nothing left to help."

"Hey, I'm not sightseeing. I just know Goldenrod is the place to go."

"Just like you did in Azalea? I was under the impression that you just wanted to get to know the region better. You certainly didn't put up a fight when we changed our destination to Chinchu."

I couldn't believe he was saying this. "I was exhausted, and so were you. The destination was never changed, it was just temporarily diverted."

He scowled. "Listen, I know that this is all new and hard to you, but you have to stop acting like a child and start acting like the Chosen One. Trevor and the others didn't call you over here so you could take a vacation."

"They didn't call me over at all!" I snapped, flaring up. "They dragged me over here and refused to let me go!"

"That was smart of them. You can't expect them to let their only hope for survival just walk out and never come back."

"How can you say that? Look at what we've already been through! I'm not from this world; I have no obligation to it. It's your damn fault for not being able to stop this by yourself! You're relying on me to do it for you and frankly I'm not sure if I want to."

"You don't have a choice!" Soren's voice rose and he got to his feet. "You are the only one who can do something. Don't say it's our fault. We didn't cause the war! We've been trying much harder than you to stop it and we haven't succeeded."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you should stop trying! All wars end eventually and as far as I know none of the wars in my world have been ended by relying on one person from an unknown world to help!"

"Just stop. You're acting like a spoiled child. You agreed to this, regardless of why or how. You have to stop this war because _you are_ the only one who can. We'll head out tomorrow. I know where a battle is being fought. Goodnight."

With that he turned and left. I stared after him, unable to believe it. I had thought for a while that we were starting to become friends, but it turned out that he was just like the other members of the Interregional Alliance. I should have expected it, but I didn't.

I did know, however, that I was not going to let him drag me into a battle. I was going to go to Goldenrod because _that_ was where I needed to be. I didn't know why, but I knew it was true.

----

Night fell quickly but I didn't go to bed. Instead I sat on my bed staring at the door. I had made up my mind even though I knew it was crazy. Dawn had stayed up with me, offering comfort and agreeing with me about most of the things I said. She knew well that Soren was no longer going to help us. We both agreed that the cause was probably that odd show we had put on when we were attacked by those White soldiers.

'Normal people can't create a blast of energy like that,' she said simply, shrugging.

That was certainly true, but I was the one who had that power so I was the one who was going to use it, whatever it was.

The clock by the bed read 12:34. The time was now.

Carefully I slipped off the bed and walked silently across the room towards the door. I pushed it open slowly and looked out. The hallway was dark and nothing moved. Soren's room was parallel to mine and, luckily, unlocked. I used great caution when opening the door then stood, looking at the sleeping boy. How much I had misjudged him. I wouldn't do that again.

I looked around, using Dawn's keen eyes to help my own, then hurried over to the backpack by his bed. Quickly I rummaged through it and removed his map, a small flashlight, and, on a whim, his I.D. card. It might come in handy and it might also help to teach him that he was not better than I was.

With these supplies in hand I left his room, closing the door behind me, then looked down at Dawn and turned on the flashlight. "To Goldenrod," I whispered.

'For better or for worse, yes. To Goldenrod.'

She walked beside me, whispering into my mind more words of comfort as I walked down the hallway. I reached the exit and turned to look back down the hallway. Then I shook my head and left, moving quickly down the road until the motel was no longer in sight.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"What do you mean beyond repair? Nothing is ever beyond repair!"

"I'm afraid Fiore is. There's simply no way we can return things to the way they were. The fighting in that region has always been the worst and now the Rangers have been almost completely wiped out. The few that remain are taking refuge in other regions and wouldn't dare return."

"Not if they value their lives, anyway."

Alyssa Clear shook her head. "What is the condition of Hoenn?"

"Both sides are holding their own and they are keeping their battles out of the cities for the most part. I don't know how much longer that will last, though."

The silver eyed woman nodded and looked to the left of the screen. "And what about Kanto, Prime Minister Delizzo?"

"There isn't much change. The Defenders and the Revolutionists are getting more stubborn by the day and nothing I do works. I assume the same is true for you, President Clear?"

"Yes," Alyssa Clear sighed. "But Fiore…I really thought that place would be the best off after the war was over."

Michel Delizzo shook his head. "So did I. Who could have known things would turn so quickly? But the Rangers methods were simply too slow and there just weren't enough of them to protect the cities. And you know how people are. If things go badly they blame those in charge. Those riots were the downfall of the Rangers."

"Do you think President Krane will be all right? The rumors…"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Prime Minister Taro."

"President Clear," began Trevor Moore quietly, "there has been no word from Joseph Krane since the collapse of the Ranger Union. He was supporting them in the war and since their defeat means power will be transferred to the Fiore Rebels…I must say I'm worried about his safety."

There was silence for a moment as the members of the meeting thought about the situation. Finally Michel Delizzo spoke. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. Even if we attempted to send aide, the current condition of the region would put anyone sent there in danger."

There was another moment of silence, then Clarisse Taro spoke. "You are right, of course. Still, simply abandoning him-"

"We will not be abandoning him, Prime Minister Taro. Joseph Krane is a very wise man. He would undoubtedly make the same decision we have to make. Call it abandonment if you must, but there is no choice. We must leave Fiore up to President Krane and Faye. That's all we can do at the moment."

Clarisse Taro sighed. "Yes, of course." She paused for a moment then added, "I'm afraid I must leave now. I told the presidents of Cerio and Orion that I would inform them of Fiore's fate as soon as this meeting was over."

"Yes. Take care of yourself, Clarisse."

"Thank you, Alyssa."

The two women exchanged a nod then Clarisse Taro's portion of the screen flickered and went blank. Only Trevor Moore and Michel Delizzo were left. Their boxes now enlarged to fill the empty space.

"Have you had any word from Soren yet?"

The young Administrator shook his head, worry creeping into his face. "No. The last contact I had with him was shortly after he and Faye left Azalea on a bus. He said they were heading for Goldenrod."

"Goldenrod? I wonder why they'd be heading here."

"Does Soren know that Goldenrod is the capitol of Johto, Trevor?"

Trevor Moore considered. "I doubt it. He's never cared much for Johto. Why I have no idea."

Alyssa Clear nodded and sat back in her chair. "I'll try to get in contact with them. Perhaps Seles will be able to help."

"Perhaps so. Be sure to keep us informed."

"I will, Michel. Good luck to you and to Kanto."

"Thank you. I wish you the same, Alyssa." The Prime Minister turned his head away from the screen and nodded at something. "Give my regards to the Chosen, if you see her." His box flickered and became blank.

Trevor Moore stared at the President of Johto for a moment before saying, "If you see Soren, tell him…tell him to be careful, would you?"

Alyssa Clear smiled. "I will Trevor, don't worry."

The young man smiled gratefully and exchanged a word of farewell with Alyssa Clear before his screen, too, went blank.

Alyssa Clear closed her eyes and ran and hand through her dark hair. "I certainly hope Soren and Faye make it here, all right. The war draws closer to this city every day." She opened her eyes and looked for a moment at a silver framed photograph on her desk. Then she picked up the telephone receiver and spoke briefly to her secretary before standing and exiting the office.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Daylight came far more quickly than I thought it would. Having had no sleep the night before, I was exhausted. Each step was an effort but I was determined to put at least another mile or so between me and Chinchu before stopping to rest. I wasn't a hundred percent sure how long I'd have to walk to accomplish that, but I knew it would be a while yet.

The map I had taken from Soren was useful for only a short while. Then I took a wrong turn and got completely lost. Not knowing the region I was in or the terrain in the area made things difficult. After a few hours I did manage to get a rough idea of where I was and start off in the right direction again, but it hurt my time.

'I think we've gone far enough, Faye. You're completely worn out and I'm not much better. If we run into any trouble we won't be able to help ourselves. We should stop and rest.'

I shook my head. "No. We have to keep going for a little while longer."

She rubbed her face against my leg and whispered, 'He's not going to catch up to us. He probably only just woke up. Plus we took his map.'

"It's not just Soren I'm worried about. Once he discovers we're missing I'm sure he'll contact the Interregional Alliance."

'What are they going to do? Tell the military to start looking for us?'

I chuckled sleepily and stopped walking. "I know, I know. I just…don't want to sleep yet. It's too open here. We'll keep going until we reach that forest."

The forest was just a faint line of shadow in the distance. Dawn knew that I was going to keep going until we reached the desired distance and she also knew that I was right about our current location being too open. Being caught in the open plains wasn't a good idea. Plus the clouds overhead had been growing darker since daybreak. It was bound to rain soon.

----

The sun was high in the sky, or I guessed it was as it could no longer be seen through the clouds, when we finally reached the trees. Though I couldn't see very well through my exhaustion I knew this must be Ilex Forest. It was the only forest that had been near my previous location and it was a good sign. Ilex Forest led almost straight to Goldenrod, if I managed to go in the right direction the whole way.

At the moment I didn't really care about that, however. All I cared about was sleeping. I found a large tree with wonderfully soft bark and even softer ground beneath it and was asleep in an instant.

----

I wasn't aware of the rain when I awoke. I wasn't aware of the fact that I was wet or dirty, either. My drowsy mind couldn't grasp anything and it took me a moment to realize where I was or how I had gotten there. Once I had grasped that bit of information I tried to figure out why I was awake.

'You can hear it, too…'

Dawn's low whisper echoed inside my head for a minute before I fully understood what she had said. As soon as I did I knew what she meant. Far away, so far I was surprised I could hear it, was a sound that was vaguely familiar. It was comprised of shouting and loud pops.

"I know…that…ah shit." I couldn't help it. A battle. Why? How could I have wandered so near a battle?

'Don't think this is your fault. They arrived while we slept and started up a short while ago. I woke you up because it sounds like they're coming this way.'

"But we're in the middle of a forest." I obviously wasn't thinking of everything I had learned in history class. It made no difference where enemy forces met. It they came face to face it meant there was going to be a fight.

'What do you want to do? It's unlikely we'll be able to avoid them. Not if we plan to reach Goldenrod by traveling through this forest.'

I had to agree. "We could try to find another way…" This idea was forgotten almost as soon as it had been spoken. The sounds of the battle had just intensified. They were moving closer at a speed I hadn't counted on.

'If we want to avoid getting involved in this battle we'll have to find some way to stay out of sight. I doubt they'd attack an innocent civilian, but you never know.'

"Yeah. And even if they don't attack me on purpose, I could still get myself very killed. Could we climb a tree or something?"

Dawn considered the idea, looking up at the thick foliage above us. I could hear her thoughts as a jumbled mess. Clearly she wasn't sure whether to follow this plan or not. The battle, though more easily heard now, was still a fair distance off.

'I think,' she began at last, looking in the direction of a particularly distinct shout, 'we should move towards the battle. Keep going then hide when we're nearby.'

"You're mental! We'll get killed if we charge into that mess."

The little Rattata shook her head. 'I don't think so. If we move closer and hide until they pass we'll be able to continue on our way unnoticed. We'll also make better time and perhaps be able to learn something about the situation.'

She had a point, there was no denying that. Still, following the sounds of gunfire seemed like a very stupid thing to do. But a decision had to be made and soon.

With a sigh I nodded. "All right. But let's hurry. The sooner this is over the better."

Dawn nodded and took the lead through the trees. She moved at an irritatingly swift pace and I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to follow her if we weren't linked as we were. The rain was making everything look blurred and made distance harder to judge. The brown of the tree trunks and the green of the leaves mixed together and it was all I could do to protect my face from the lower branches.

Everything would have been bad enough if every step I took didn't make the sound of gunfire and shouting louder. It was all I could hear apart from my own heart. I could have sworn it was going to stop beating from the mixture of fear, exhaustion, and stress I was feeling.

I wanted to shout out, call to Dawn and ask her to slow down. Perhaps we should reconsider what we were doing. I couldn't, though. I didn't have breath to spare. I tried to reach her through my thoughts but she didn't seem to hear me. It was actually unnerving. I couldn't feel her at all except for the small jabs she gave me to keep me going in the right direction.

Something was up.

----

We reached the battle sooner than I had expected and much, much sooner than I would have liked. I knew we had because the noise was so close I thought my eardrums were going to burst. An occasional shape appeared between the gaps in the trees then vanished. My imagination went wild. I could practically see every shot fired and every shout had an indistinct face to it.

It was a lot like a movie scene. Well, in my head it was.

We climbed the nearest tree we could find then climbed along the branches until we could see through the leaves. A little further along the branch and we could see down into a small clearing.

That moment is one I will never forget. The rain gave everything an eerie outline, but it wouldn't have been any less terrible had it been bright and sunny. It probably would have been worse. At least the rain fitted the mood better.

It was easy to tell that the clearing had once been a smooth layer of perfect, green grass. A few places even seemed to have flowers dotting it. It would have been a pleasing and easy sight to any eyes under normal conditions. Now, however, all I felt was dizzy sickness.

The ground was stained red with the blood of soldiers. Corpses and wounded lay scattered about like leaves in fall. Some wore white and some wore green. It didn't matter which it was, it didn't matter that we had recently been captured by White soldiers, or that the Greens had destroyed a town by poisoning its food source. Nothing mattered at that moment except that people were dead.

In my mind there was no reason for what lay before me. There was no excuse for all those deaths. There was no excuse for this war. It had to be stopped, no matter what the cost.

'I'm sorry, Faye.' Dawn's voice was gentle and her eyes were full of guilt and sorrow. 'Of all the things you had to see, this was not one you should have had to. You're so young, but you have to understand. You have to know what it is you're here to fight against. What you're here to stop. This is why Soren and the others are pushing you. You are the only chance they have.'

I looked at her. The rain splattering against my face was cold, though for some reason some of the drops were warm. I didn't know what it was because I wasn't aware of the fact that I was crying.

"You knew? You knew about…you knew what…you brought me here on purpose? To let me see…this?"

Slowly, as if the act was causing her a great deal of pain, she nodded. 'You don't know. How could you? But this had to be. I can feel it inside of you, inside of both of us. Since you stopped that bullet it's been growing. Look out there one more time. Look out there and take it in. Look around at those still fighting and all those that are still falling. Look…and stop it.'

I looked. Flashes of white and green appeared among the trees. The gunfire, which only a moment before had been too dull to my ears to hear, was suddenly sharp and distinct once more. Sharper than before, in fact. The rain shivered before my eyes, showing me the outline of everything I couldn't see before.

A salty raindrop fell from my cheek and splattered on the ground far below. It shone among the other drops, a faint blue glow against the brown earth. I could feel something inside of me break. Now was the time to stop this. Now was the time to start doing what I was in this world to do.

I raised my hand to eye level and looked at it. A faint blue glow, the same color as the Soul Ball, the same glow that had saved me when the White soldier fired at me, surrounded it. I could feel a pulse that didn't come from my heart.

Once more I looked out over the battle. For just a second, time stood still. I pulled myself to my feet, extended my arm in front of me, and closed my eyes. A few more blue tears fell to the ground, then I felt the tears stop. I opened my eyes and looked at a soldier in White. His gun was trained on an enemy I couldn't see.

I felt my eyes narrow and took a step forward. "This ends now."


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The first flash of light was unintentional. The target was the White soldier. He stood, his finger slowly tightening on the trigger of his rifle, ready to take down a man he had never met and never would. There was no sense or reason in that. Fortunately, he never got to take the shot.

The glow surrounding my hand appeared at the very edge of my fingertips in the form of a small sphere. It was perhaps as large as a marble. A second after it formed it shot towards the soldier and hit him in the forehead. There was a small explosion of light and the man collapsed.

For a moment I was horrified. Had I just killed the man? But no, I could sense life in him. I wasn't aware of how odd this was but it soothed me.

My eyes scanned the clearing until I spotted another soldier, this one in green, running for cover behind a large oak. I turned and a second ball of light hit him. The effect was the same as before. I couldn't control the attacks, or whatever they were, but I guessed that if I concentrated on something I would be able to stop it.

Three more soldiers fell before I decided that what I was doing wasn't working quickly enough. Dawn made an odd sound, rather like a deep cat purr, and leapt off the branch. She hung suspended in midair for a moment, glowing the same blue as myself, then landed and locked her eyes on a small group of nearby Whites.

I hesitated a moment. Even though my mind was clouded by the strange sensation the power I was using caused and by the anger and sadness I felt about the situation around me, some common sense still remained. I was very high up. If I jumped as Dawn had just done I would probably hurt myself very badly.

Something inside of me said to trust myself and give it a go. Without really meaning to, I felt myself take the last few steps to the edge of the branch then beyond it. The fall was almost terrifying enough to bring me back to my senses. I only had a moment to think that I had made a terrible mistake before I reached the ground. A sharp jolt passed through my body and I hovered inches above the ground for a second before landing. It felt as though some invisible force had caught me then let me go again. Very unpleasant but I didn't have time to think about it.

Dawn, as a Rattata, however strange the glow around her, didn't seem like a threat and didn't attract much attention. The glow was probably passed off by anyone who saw her. No doubt they thought it was the effect of the rain. I, on the other hand, startled two nearby Greens nearly out of their wits. I suppose strange, glowing girls don't fall out of the sky that often.

One of them fell back and dropped his gun. The other raised his and fired without thinking. The bullet turned to dust in an instant and an instant later both men had been knocked unconscious by two blue "bullets".

The two Greens were not the only ones who had seen me. Dawn's sharp eyes and sharper senses picked out a score of people on both sides who had spotted me. I could see several of them but most were hidden. I could detect them only by the faint pulse that signified they were alive. That kind of detection was more accurate and effective than any sensor that had yet been invented. I knew where every soldier in that clearing and around it was.

What was more, I knew which of the fallen were still alive. If I could end this quickly, maybe they still had a chance.

_'Be quick, Faye! Single attacks aren't going to be good enough! Take them all out at once!'_

_"Sure thing. Let me read my manual on using whatever these powers are and I'll get right on it."_

I could tell that smartass comment didn't go over well with her, but she had to admit I had a point. I didn't even know how I was using the small "bullets"; how was I supposed to use a large scale attack?

_'Concentrate on several of the life signals, then. A large group of them. Hurry!'_

I tried to. There were about fifty of the little pulses nearby. I closed my eyes. Tiny glowing figures appeared in my mind, replacing the rain swept clearing. Each one was a soldier. Dozens of them were spread out, some in groups, some alone, all around me. Some were dimmer than others and two vanished in the short period of time it took me to look around the clearing.

I selected a group at random and focused on them. Almost instantly I felt several small jolts inside me and a moment later the soldiers fell. I repeated this again with another group, then another, and another, selecting larger and wider groups every time. Each time I felt a small jolt pass through my body and I soon came to associate that feeling with the release of power.

It didn't take very long to take down most of the soldiers; the number of participants in the battle was not as large as I had first thought it was. Once they realized what was happening, however, many tried to flee. I hit them first before turning my attention to those staying more or less still. I guess some of them hadn't realized anything was happening, or perhaps they had just given up trying to run.

Finally there was only one left. Since I had been targeting groups at a time I knew I had missed him somehow. No matter. I smiled as he fell and opened my eyes.

There was silence apart from the sound of the rain and the occasional gust of wind. The battle was over, but not finished. Those that had already been wounded were beyond my help. I had no medical training and nothing to work with if I had.

Even before I could try to work out a solution that might do these poor people some good, another problem occurred to me. Eventually everyone would wake up. I rather doubted being knocked out; however odd the circumstances that led to it were, would stop them from picking up their guns and continuing where they left off.

'Don't fret. Only one side at a time will wake. They will be disoriented and unaware of their enemies. They will proceed to gather their forces together then leave. They will have little desire to fight for some time. I might also add that any medics that were around during this battle will wake with the first side. The wounded will be treated and taken somewhere for care.'

I looked around at the small, purple mouse as she walked carefully towards me. She was still glowing as brightly as before and looked very satisfied with the way things had turned out.

"What makes you think they won't want to fight anymore? Something like this wouldn't stop me from hating somebody. I'd be completely confused and probably nervous for a while, but that's not the same thing."

Dawn smiled. 'You see, your power…well, it…it makes,' she stopped and tilted her head to the side, her smile fading. 'Well, I just know it's true. I don't really know why. My knowledge of our power is limited. I don't know much more about it than you do. I just know how to use basic attacks and how to force it out. I also know some of its affects. I don't know any whys or anything else.'

"You're a lot of help." Though my tone was sarcastic there was a lot of truth in what I said. I didn't have to worry about the battle starting up after I was gone and I had been able to stop it. Still, this didn't solve everything. "What about the wounded? Isn't there something I can do for them?"

Dawn considered for a moment. 'I don't know. Some of them are beyond help. Others will be fine without you. But there are some who can be helped who won't be if left now. I don't know…you can try tending them.'

I didn't think this a very promising idea but I moved towards the first soldier in the condition Dawn described. I couldn't tell the difference between their conditions but she could. Her ability to see the fluctuations in life pulses and to simply see the pulses was much better than my own. Without her I doubted I would have been able to pinpoint and hit all of the soldiers.

The man was lying on his side and trembling slightly. That meant he was still conscious. I hesitated, not wanting him to see my face. A bight light caught the corners of my eyes and I felt a mild warmth over the top of my face. I knew my identity was now hidden.

Carefully I reached out and turned the man over onto his back. It was instantly apparent that he had been shot in the stomach. Blood covered his green uniform and his face was very pale. It became paler still as he looked at me.

"Don't worry," I said softly, smiling at him. I wanted to add something about being here to help him and that he was going to be ok, but I couldn't. How could I help him? I barely knew human anatomy and didn't even know the exact location of the wound.

He reached up and took hold of my arm. He couldn't have been much older than Trevor Moore. "Please," his voice was young and strained.

I wanted nothing more than the pull my arm out of his grasp and run, but I couldn't. It was all I could do to prevent myself from crying. This guy needed my help and I couldn't give it to him.

'Can you find where he's injured?'

I gave a small nod and placed my free hand on the spot where the blood seemed to be the thickest. The warmth of the blood and the small hole under my fingers made me feel suddenly sick. I had never had to deal with anything like this before.

'Remember what you did to knock out the soldiers?'

"Yes."

'Do the same thing, but concentrate on the wound.'

Not entirely convinced this was a good idea, I did as Dawn instructed. I felt a small pulse in my hand and the man released me. He had been knocked unconscious the same way the other soldiers had been. Unfortunately, at the same moment, the flow of blood increased.

I was able to guess what had happened from past experience. The bullet had been turned to dust. With it gone it was only natural that the blood would flow more freely. The remains of the bullet would probably be washed out along with it. Effective but not exactly helpful in the long run.

"Now what?"

'Try applying pressure and use something as a bandage.'

Once more I followed Dawn's advice. I tore a strip of cloth from the soldier's uniform and pressed it against the wound. Then I tore a few more and placed them over the first, pinning them down by putting the man's arms over the edges and tucking them, slightly unwillingly, into the back of his pants. Hopefully it would hold long enough for help to get to him.

This procedure was repeated many times with slight variations to each. Most of the soldiers were already unconscious which was a relief to me. The few that were still conscious spoke to me, but I didn't respond to any of them.

The last man I came to looked up at me with bright green eyes. He had been hit twice but was still very aware of everything around him. He watched as I placed my hand over his more serious wound, the one in his leg. I then placed my other hand over the wound in his shoulder. With two I was surprised he was still awake.

I concentrated on both of them, finding it very difficult to do so. As I had moved from person to person my exhaustion began to come back. At this point I could barely stand and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get up after I treated this guy.

Just before the jolt that signified the release of the blue bullet the man smiled. "It_was_ an angel." Then he passed out.

I didn't think about his comment but set to stopping the bleeding. Dawn helped me and soon the man's life pulse became more steady. Hopefully he would survive.

----

The rain had stopped and a chilly breeze was drifting lazily through the trees when I woke. It was very cold to me and, though I must have been asleep for hours, I still felt very weak. It wasn't surprising considering everything I had done, but it was annoying. It had been almost a week, after all.

'You up to more traveling, or should we wait a bit longer before setting out?'

I shrugged and stretched. "I dunno, Dawn. I really wanna get out of this forest and get to Goldenrod."

'Where's the map?'

"In my backpack."

She nodded and proceeded to try to force her way through the small opening in the top. I hadn't bothered to zip it all the way before going to sleep. Still, the hole was too small for her to claw her way through so I obliged to open it the rest of the way and remove the map myself.

I hated maps. It was impossible to get them to fold the way they were supposed to and they were _designed_ to be hard to read. At least those in my world were. This one was all right. It wasn't very helpful at the moment because it only described a few direct paths and roads through Ilex Forest. The rest was just a dense lump of green. Because I hadn't come in following one of the paths or roads, I wasn't able to figure out where the nearest one was.

"Not a lot of help, is it?"

'Not really. It does say how long the forest is, at least. I'm sure we've covered most of that distance by now.'

"Assuming we've been going in the right direction we have."

'Aren't you little miss pessimist?'

"I'm just trying to be realistic, Dawn. I know we've been going at a slow pace but I thought we'd be there by now."

The little Rattata sighed and shook her head. 'I guess I have to agree with you on that one. If we could just find one of the paths.'

"Have you checked today?"

'No. I haven't checked in a while. Slipped my mind.'

"Then try."

She gave a shrug and began climbing from the branch we were on to the one above it. Since the battle we had taken to sleeping in the trees. It felt safer and was actually more comfortable, and much cleaner, than sleeping on the ground. Every once in a while Dawn would climb as high as it was possible to climb and attempt to look over the top of the trees. So far there had been no luck in spotting what we were looking for; a path that led out of Ilex Forest.

Thus far she hadn't even been able to break the canopy of trees because she couldn't climb high enough or the tree wasn't tall enough. It seemed hopeless.

About ten minutes passed before Dawn came crashing back through the branches and landed with a solid thump in front of me.

"You ok?"

'Dandy!' She jumped to her feet, shook herself off, then beamed at me. 'I saw the city!'

I stared. "Are you sure?"

'Of course! What else could it have been? I managed to get up pretty high and saw over a lot of the trees. The city is a ways away, beyond the end of the forest, which isn't that far away. I couldn't find a path, though. But at least we know which way to go now!'

I was very excited. "This is great! Do you think we'll make it to Goldenrod before the day's over?"

'Definitely. Even at our pace it should be easy.'

It was the best news I had heard in a long time. If I hadn't been sitting on a branch some distance above the ground I would have gotten up and started dancing. As it was, I had to wait until I was on the ground before I tapped off a few steps and spun around.

Dawn waited until I was finished then headed off at top speed. I wasn't able to keep up but it didn't matter because I could find her easily.

Even when she slowed and we had to move on at an exhaustingly slow pace, my excitement didn't fade. We were so nearly there!

And then the trees ended. Just up ahead, not even fifty yards away, was the outskirts of Goldenrod City. At long last we had arrived.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

I stood, my eyes straining to see the top of the building, my heart pounding with excitement, and my soul nipping me on the ankle in a vain attempt to get my attention.

'Faye. Faye! Hey, idiot girl!'

I jerked. "Wha…"

'It's amazing what people answer to these days.'

I blinked and looked down at the irritated mouse. "Did you say something?"

She sighed and shook her head. 'Never mind. Now listen. You can't stand here looking like an idiot. We need to move. You can be awestruck and walk at the same time, can't you?'

"Sure, why not? But honestly, I'm not awestruck. This place looks…I dunno, so prosperous! And it's huge. I never really thought of cities in this world being like cities back home. But I mean, this apartment building is huge!"

Dawn nodded, glancing at the luxurious looking building. 'This place certainly does well. But it's not as if you've never been to a city before. You're used to this kind of stuff.'

I shrugged and began walking. "Well, yeah. But it's not like I come from a huge city or anything. And this is just so…so…"

'Normal looking?' Dawn finished for me.

I chuckled. "Yeah, normal looking. Up until now things have been normal, but with a twist. This is like any city back home. The names of stuff is just different. I dunno." I glanced around the narrow streets and mildly crowded sidewalks. "I think…it's not so much how this place looks, or how big it is, I was kind of half expecting it, ya know, but…"

'You're getting homesick, aren't you?'

I didn't answer but kept walking. How long had it been now? One week? No. Two. Two weeks with no contact from anyone from my own world. What were they thinking about right now? Where were they? Were they wondering what had become of me? How long would they search? How long would they suffer? This wasn't a game where days passed in minutes and you never really had to worry about time.

This was real. A teenage girl had vanished from school shortly before the end of track practice. There were no witnesses, no clues, no leads. She was just gone. No one would ever even think of suggesting that she was in another world. Instead they would assume she was being held captive somewhere by some weirdo, or, worse, dead.

'Faye, there's nothing you can do.'

I didn't look at her. The burning sensation in my eyes was almost overwhelming and I feared crying would trigger some power I didn't have full control over. That was how it had happened before.

'Look, there's a café. Why don't we stop and get something to eat? We could both use it.'

I still didn't look at her but allowed a small nod. "Sure. I am hungry. Very hungry, actually."

I felt Dawn's relief at having finally diverted my attention. 'Well of course you are. Think of how much we've had to eat since leaving Chinchu!'

I bent down and lifted Dawn into my arms. She rubbed her small furry face against mine in a comforting sort of way. "You certainly have a point. I think I'm going to get some real food, then something with lots of chocolate. Oh man, I really hope they have chocolate here."

----

As it turned out, they didn't. They had something called karrea which had many similarities to chocolate in taste and color, but you didn't eat it, you drank it. It was thick, rich, creamy, and probably one of the best drinks I had ever had. Oddly, though, it didn't taste like hot chocolate and there was a slightly unpleasant after taste. Upon inquiry into the ingredients I learned that the karrea had a small amount of this world's equivalent to alcohol in it.

Unfortunately I had no alcohol tolerance. I didn't mention this because I got the impression alcohol laws weren't the least bit strict here and the stuff was used more for flavoring than anything else. I gathered this from the little kid who bought the same drink and gulped it down in thirty seconds.

Apparently this stuff either had no effect on people here, which seemed logical when I really thought about. After all, these people's bodies had to be a lot stronger than mine was. They could withstand Pokemon attacks that would probably kill a person on my world. Or I assumed they could, anyway.

However, without that protection I was susceptible to effects of a normal alcoholic drink. I could only hope this stuff wasn't as bad for me as it was back home.

----

'You're lucky I made you leave before the full effects of that stuff kicked in! If people had seen you like this they would have been very confused. Probably would have assumed you were mental or something. Are you listening to me?'

I giggled and tugged on Dawn's ear. "You're no fun," I said dazedly, grinning down at her.

'Ugh. From now on you check the ingredients before you buy anything. Got it?'

"Sure, why not?" I giggled again and stumbled a little as I walked. It hadn't been that big a drink. Only the largest size they had. I was thirsty. So sue me.

'How long is this going to last? You have to stop acting so- Ow! Would you stop pulling my ear?!'

"Sorry," I mumbled cheerfully, "it's so soft and fuzzy."

'Why me? Why?'

"Because you're cute," I stated brightly, rubbing her purple head affectionately. I was very giddy and couldn't understand why Dawn was being so grumpy.

'Watch it, you're gonna fall down!'

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm perfectly balanced!" With that I stumbled happily into a wall and slid down it into a sitting position, giggling uncontrollably.

"Are you all right, dear?"

I looked up and a woman with dark red hair looking down at me with concern.

"I'm just dandy," I said, smiling up at her.

'No she's not. Help, before someone sees.'

The woman's face blurred but I could make out a look of surprise and recognition before I passed out.

----

"I'm so sorry."

"For the hundredth time, it's quite all right."

"I swear I never would have drank that stuff if I had known…"

"Yes, dear. We've been over this several times."

"It's not harmful, is it?"

"No more harmful than any other sugar."

I sighed and looked down at Dawn. I only had a vague recollection of what I had down once the effects of the karrea began to set in. I did know I had been acting very tipsy and that I had passed out. That was about all.

"I'll never touch the stuff again."

Seles smiled. "Don't worry. I doubt it will affect you so badly again. And, of course, once you learn to fully control your powers you'll most likely be immune to it, like everyone else."

I laughed. "Yeah, if I ever master my powers." I looked around the cozy room again. The walls were a soft red, as were the lights on the ceiling and the one beside the bed I had woken up in. The carpet was dull white, though red in the light. Pictures of sunsets, soft scenery, and a small heard of what had to be Ponyta grazing completed the room's relaxing setting.

The room belonged to Seles, the kind woman who had given me shelter after I had passed out. Her dark red hair fell neatly to her shoulders in a graceful wave. She looked to be in her late forties, the hint of a few wrinkles around her eyes. I attributed this, not to age, but to how much time she must spend smiling. It was just an air she had about her.

An intentionally loose black top and long ruffled skirt did not entirely hide her slim figure. Her skin was pale, almost alarmingly so, but it only enhanced her beautiful features. Her most remarkable trait, however, was, like many of the people in this world, her eyes. They were such a vivid and violent pink it almost hurt to look at them.

The whole look fit her, though. The eyes especially. I would have been mildly disappointed if the prophetess that had told the Inter-Regional Alliance of my destiny had not had any exceptional characteristics.

Still, I wished we could have met under better circumstances. Being drunk and stumbling around the city was not a very good first impression. At least she was a kind woman.

"Faye?"

I jerked and looked up at her, flinching for a moment as her eyes pierced mine. Even the dimming effect of the red light couldn't ease their sharpness. "Yes?"

"You seem to be a bit preoccupied. Something troubling you?"

I wanted to laugh, but I didn't. Instead I shook my head. "No, I'm just admiring the room."

She smiled a warm smile. "I designed it myself. I come in here when I need to think. It's calming, as you have realized."

I nodded. "Very." I hesitated for a moment before saying, "I bet you've come in here a lot recently."

Seles nodded sadly. "Yes. These are bad times. There are those who have spoken of a time like this for ages beyond ages. Or, that is what I am told. I cannot be sure of whether this is true or not. It hardly matters. The fact is that it is happening. The inner struggles of the fifteen greatest powers in the world."

I stared at her, my lungs constricting from my excitement. Was I about to learn what the Inter-Regional Alliance had failed to tell me? The cause of Johto's war, and of all the other wars. For every region to be suffering under a civil war of some kind was certainly something I had never heard of before.

The prophetess gave a small laugh. "I can't blame you for being curious. But there is far too much to tell tonight. It is very late, though I suppose you wouldn't know due to the lack of windows. You can sleep in this room tonight. Tomorrow, after you have eaten and once I am satisfied you are in good health, I will tell you the story. Stories, to be more correct. They are all linked to one, it is true, but they are their own."

I fidgeted, desperate to hear more. I would have gone against my better judgment and argued, but Dawn placed a paw on my arm. 'There's time. The medicine Seles gave you to clear your head will make you drowsy, anyway. It already is, isn't it?'

I folded my arms and made a very pronounced hmph, but didn't answer. I hated it that Dawn could always tell. With her mind being linked to mine, I couldn't hide anything from her.

"Rest well, Faye," Seles's gentle voice was accompanied by her abrupt departure from the room.

I sighed and crawled under the covers. Tomorrow, then. I could wait until then to learn the story. I was tired. The sleep would do me well. When I woke up I would be fully alert and ready to take in everything Seles said.

I closed my eyes as Dawn curled up next to me. Even though my mind was fully active and every inch of me was burning with curiosity, I fell asleep quickly, dreams of fire and glowing rain filling my mind for most of the night.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_The final rays of the sun glinted off the still waters of an enormous lake. No wind blew, no ripple disturbed the surface; all was calm. It was almost eerie how quiet the world was being. After everything I had been through, everything I had seen, this still beauty was as unfamiliar and foreign as the powers I now held…_

What was this place?

_I glowered down at the small patch of rock visible through the dirt. The whole thing was stupid. It was ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the fact that I was crying. I never cried, not over stupid things like this. Little quarrels and constant high school drama shouldn't have any effect on me. I shouldn't care._

_I felt his approach before I heard it, but I didn't turn. He didn't hesitate before gently wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I leaned back slightly and blinked in an effort to ease the burning sensation pressing against my eyes._

_"You know," he stated lightly, "it's ok to be human once in a while."_

_"Only when there's an actual reason for it. Arguing with someone about something so silly doesn't count."_

_"Maybe," he agreed, "but if that someone is your best friend, I think it does. Particularly if that best friend called you a-"_

_"Shut up, Jake. She didn't mean it."_

_I could feel him grinning as he let go of me. "I know she didn't. She knows she didn't. You know she didn't. So what are you upset about?"_

_"I don't know. The whole damn thing is…"_

_"Stupid?"_

_"Yeah, stupid."_

_Jake moved around to face me. I avoided his gaze but he brushed a hand lightly under my eyes. "Come on, why don't we go talk to Jessica?"_

_I took a quick breath and turned, a half formed word hanging useless in the air as I saw what was behind me. It should have been the school. I had been standing by the gym. Why would a forest be by the gym? I turned around to ask Jake, but both he and the gym were gone._

_"Jake?" The call echoed eerily through the trees, startling a couple of strange looking birds from their roosts._

_I began walking, searching for my school. It shouldn't be far. I had just been there. But was there really such a thick forest near it? How strange._

_Rain began falling. It was odd rain. It glowed a faint blue. It looked familiar. Where had I seen this rain before?_

_Flames suddenly erupted around me, turning the lush trees to ash in an instant. Gun shots came from every direction, screaming, cries of pain. What was going on? Why wasn't the rain putting out the fire?_

I was uncomfortably warm under the thick blanket covering me. Perhaps it was because the room I was in glowed the color the flames. Was there actually a fire?

I sat up so fast my head spun and I toppled over sideways. The floor was covered by soft, lush carpet which cushioned my fall. Still dizzy and slightly disoriented, I looked around, holding my head. A minute passed before I realized where I was.

'Faye?' Dawn's gentle squeak came from behind me. I turned and saw her frowning at me. 'Are you all right?'

Mixed emotions churned inside me. Relief, puzzlement, regret, disappointment. Confusion.

'Faye?' Dawn said again, hopping lightly off the bed and staring at me.

"Do you see…what I dream?" My voice was hoarse from sleep.

'I can if I'm awake. But I don't share your dreams. Dreams are from memories and I don't share your memories.'

I nodded. "Ok."

Dawn's frown deepened. 'Why? Was there something troubling in your dream?'

"Not really. Just…the usual. Fire and rain." The rest of my dream was already fading. I could remember an argument with Jessica. That had been silly high school drama from the distant past. Already I had forgotten what we'd been fighting about. I knew Jake had been there too. Within a couple of hours the whole thing would be forgotten. I felt that was best for the time being.

'Why don't we go exploring? You haven't gotten to see much of this house. Not unimpaired, anyway.'

I felt my face grow warm. "Thanks for reminding me." I said this in a sarcastic tone but I meant it. I had completely forgotten that I would soon be learning everything I needed to know about this journey. Suddenly I was eager to find Seles. Would it be rude to wake her if it was very early? Probably. Would it be any less rude to poke through her home while she was asleep? Probably not. Well, that was too bad.

----

The room I had slept in was one of three on the left side of the staircase on the second floor. A small balcony overlooked a quaint sitting room filled with the sun's first light. The white carpet and soft blue walls held the light well, making it appear well lit and inviting.

Turning from there I moved towards the right side of the staircase and found two more doors I did not try to open. Instead I turned back and ascended the second set of stairs to the third floor.

This floor was more of a large room than anything else. Paintings hung on the walls in between the many doors. I counted six. Each had an odd symbol carved elegantly into the wood and inlaid with either gold or silver. The effect was interesting. I couldn't decide if it was mysterious in a way that made me want to explore the rooms beyond or turn around and leave.

A noise behind me made me jump. I suddenly became aware of Dawn's absence. How had I not noticed she was missing? I spun around and saw Seles smiling at me from the stairs.

"Doing a bit of early morning exploration?"

Her face was kind and her intense eyes sparkled brightly with amusement.

I swallowed and nodded, trying to look apologetic. "I…I'm sorry. I was just…curious."

She gave a gentle laugh and motioned for me to follow her back down the stairs. "Don't worry. It's natural to be curious when you're in a strange place. I advise, however, that you not open any unknown doors. They can be dangerous, you see."

I nodded again, glancing back at the assortment of doors. Only one door was within eyesight. The golden symbol gazed back innocently, and for a moment, seemed to glow. Then the stairs turned and I turned my gaze to the back of Seles's head.

"You need to wash," she said, glancing back at me as we reached the second floor.

I blushed, realizing she was right. How long had it been since I had had a shower or a change of clothes?

Dawn greeted me at the top of the stairs that led to the first floor. She grinned, her whiskers twitching.

"Where have you been?"

'I was talking with Seles. Did you not notice her coming into the sitting room below the balcony?'

I had to admit I hadn't. "No. I was focusing on other things."

Before Dawn could answer, Seles directed me to one of the doors on the right side. "That's the bathroom. There are towels in there already. I'll see if I can find you some clean clothes that'll fit while I wash yours."

I smiled gratefully at her and turned the knob of the indicated door. The bathroom was large and beautiful. The floor and walls were composed of shining white tiles and the light overhead was bright and cheerful. The sink stood opposite the door with a large mirror and a second set of lights on the wall behind it. I grimaced slightly as I stared at my reflection.

My face was smudged with dirt and my hair was limp, dull, and tangled from tossing and turning in my sleep. My clothes were dirtier than I was, though it wasn't as obvious thanks to the dark colors. I also noticed that my hat was gone. When had I lost it? I couldn't remember if I'd had it or not back at the motel.

I quickly removed my clothes, desperate to be out of them now that I realized how dirty they were. Savior or not, a girl's got her limits. I wasn't the type to squeal at dirt or feel the need to avoid any and all situations in which I could get mud on me, but I was also used to being able to take a shower every night.

Back at the motel I hadn't really paid too much attention to my physical appearance because I was concerned about my injuries. A glance in the mirror told me that the cut on my head was now only a faint scar. The wound on my thigh faired no worse. I had never healed faster than anyone else before coming to this world. Maybe it was the climate. That sounded ridiculous but I'd stick with it until I got a better answer.

'I'm glad your leg healed as quickly as it did. Does it hurt at all?'

I glanced down and caught Dawn staring at me. I blushed, though there was no real reason for it, and scolded her. "No, and quit staring."

She rolled her eyes and turned her back to me, twitching her tail in either irritation or amusement. 'Honestly, Faye, I'm a part of you.'

"So? Maybe I'm self-conscious."

'Somehow I doubt that.'

Choosing to ignore her rather than answer, I pulled open the glass door of the shower and stepped in.

----

Now so clean I felt I'd need a few days to re-grow the layer of skin I'd rubbed off and wrapped in a fluffy white towel, I set to sorting out my hair with the brush the Interregional Alliance had given me. I'd been grateful for it thus far but it was kind of cheap. A couple of bristles had already snapped off. Clearly it wasn't made for getting twigs and tough snarls out of hair and that was what I had been using it for.

A knock on the door allowed me to pause my battle with my hair. "Come in."

Seles entered with a bundle of clothes in her arms. On top of the bundle was a small variety of brushes and combs and a small pouch that would be used to hold make-up. It was the sight of these small comfort items that made my eyes sting. No one else had given much consideration to the teenage girl side of me. They only saw the Chosen One, nothing more. Seles, however, knew that I was still human and that I longed, though I would never admit it, for a small portion of the comforts I had enjoyed before coming here.

She caught my expression and smiled. "You name a sixteen year old girl who will willing leave the house with tangled hair and no make-up and I'll give you my right hand."

I laughed. "Well, I'm fifteen but I still couldn't. Well…but I don't want your hand."

Seles laughed too and placed the bundle on the counter. "You might as well call yourself sixteen. It's only, what, a week, two?"

I stared at her. Now this was unforgivable on my part. My birthday, I had forgotten it. What was this journey doing to me?

A gentle hand found my shoulder. "Don't fret. It's very easy to loose track of time on a regular day. In your situation it's a requirement."

I nodded and she left, stopping to gather up my dirty clothes as she went.

I looked down at the bundle then began sorting through it. I had a nice selection, though a small one. I chose a new pair of faded jeans, a red spaghetti strap top, and a black jacket. I considered myself in the mirror before going to work on my hair and make-up.

Once brushed and parted satisfactorily, I tied my hair back, leaving some bangs on both side of my face. I then skimmed through the make-up and chose black eyeliner, red/brown eye shadow, and an interestingly dark shade of lipstick. It felt great to look like this again. It felt like ages since I last had.

Dawn nodded in approval when I looked at her. 'Very nice.'

"Yeah. Kind of a shame I won't be able to wear it again for a while." I picked up my backpack and turned to leave.

Seles smiled at me from the doorway. "Take the kit. You may not get time to use it, but it'll be nice to have it if you do."

I smiled back and placed the kit and brushes into my backpack.

"You look very nice, by the way," Seles added as I walked towards her. "I'm glad the clothes fit. I'm sorry I don't have any regular shoes for you. All of mine have a heel of some kind. Yours are regulation trainer shoes. Built very well, made for running and extended periods of walking, as well as rough terrain and weather. As I'm not a trainer I can't offer you anything like them."

"That's all right. I can stand not wearing shoes for a while until mine are clean." It would be a relief, actually.

"Yes, well," she smiled slightly, "you may need a pair when you go to see Alyssa. If they're not clean by the time we finish our conversation I hope you won't be bothered by something a little more fashionable."

I felt my heart leap at the mention of our discussion about the war and my powers. Finally! It also jerked a little when I thought about seeing members of the Interregional Alliance again. Seles had not asked me why I was not with Soren. Perhaps she didn't know about my escort. That was all very well, but Alyssa Clear did. What would she say? Would I be forced to rejoin him?

I would have to think about that later. I wasn't about to let Soren ruin my good mood again. Not now, anyways. That could wait until later. Right now I had questions that were about to be answered.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Tell me, Faye, what do you know of the war in Johto?"

Seles's question caught me by surprise. I considered for a moment, taking a bite of what remained of my breakfast. Not having had a proper meal since beginning my journey, it had taken all of my self control not to gulp down everything Seles offered me in three bites. Even so, the food was all but gone in a matter of minutes. A piece of toast and half a glass of juice was all that remained.

I swallowed my bite of toast before replying, "There are two sides, the Greens, or Revolutionists, and the Whites, or Defenders. The war has something to do with Pokemon, but I don't know what. Both sides of done terrible things, and Alyssa doesn't want to take sides. I don't know what she's doing to stop it…but I know she wants it to end in a stalemate. I thought that was a good idea at first, but now I'm not so sure. I don't think the soldiers will stop fighting until one side wins."

Seles nodded, her unusual eyes fixed on a point above my head. She say with her arms folded and one foot tapping against a table leg. For a few moments the tap, tap, tap was the only sound. Finally she spoke, her voice distant, "You're right that Alyssa's wish is too optimistic, but that is why you are here. Alyssa has been trying to negotiate with both sides, trying to convince them to ceasefire and solve their differences peacefully, but they refuse. There is so much mistrust between them that it seems impossible to convince them to put down their guns. You are also correct that this war is centered around Pokemon, more precisely around Pokemon trainers."

I blinked and glanced down at Dawn. Her red eyes were fixed on Seles, but I could feel her surprise in the back of my mind. "How could this war be about trainers? I don't understand."

Seles sighed and fixed her gaze on me. I shivered, still unable to get over how bright and sharp her pink eyes were. "Everything started about two years ago. Well, things in Johto started long before that, but things only became violent within the last few years. A group of radical Pokemon lovers calling themselves PokeProtectors have long felt that humans are wrong to use Pokemon for battles and other means of violence. They believe it is harmful to the Pokemon and disrespectful to nature. At first they just protested at gyms and league matches, but eventually their tactics became more drastic. Some went so far as to try to steal Pokemon from trainers and release them back into the wild. Of course that usually didn't work as Pokemon typically become attached to their trainers. The trainers, as you can imagine, began to fight back. Mostly it was verbal and political, but from time to time something nasty would happen and the tension between the two groups began to grow.

"Then one day a group of PokeProtectors attacked a pack of traveling trainers. The trainers fought back using their Pokemon and seriously injured a couple of the Protectors. One of the Protectors comrades had a gun, and I'm sure you can guess what happened next. Two trainers were wounded and one was killed. People were outraged. Some backed the Protectors while others backed the trainers. Alyssa Clear stepped forward at this point to try to stop things from going any farther. She called in the Guard, which is the closest thing to military force Johto has had in nearly a century. Things seemed to be settling down and we hoped everything would blow over."

'What happened?' I jumped. I hadn't noticed that Dawn had hopped into my lap. I repeated her question, but Seles was already continuing.

"I believe there were people within Johto who wanted a revolution. When it seemed like it might not happen, they took matters into their own hands." Here Seles paused, her hardening. Her foot hit the table leg harder than before and her hands had curled into fists. Dawn tensed in my lap. I could feel her thoughts and knew she suspected what Seles was going to say. "A group of Protectors, dressed in green, made their way to New Bark Town. I assume you are familiar with that town. It has long been a place where young trainers begin their journeys. These days it is more of a ceremonial location, but many children still travel there to receive a starter Pokemon.

"There are ceremonies when children begin their journeys. Usually the friends and families gather to cheer, and often members of the community will offer food and set up booths. Depending on the number of children receiving Pokemon, it can become a sort of festival that continues for up to three days. The Protectors waited until such an occasion occurred, then attacked. Many of the children's relatives were seasoned trainers and they used their Pokemon to fight back. Well, who wouldn't? Chaos ensued and the battle lasted the better part of a day before enough police could arrive from neighboring towns to stop it. Most of the younger crowd survived, shielded by family, but many had been hit in the first moments of the battle.

"Hatred and fury swept across the country. All that was needed for the true war to begin was a spark. On the other side of the region, in Olivine City, residents heard about the catastrophe. Trainers and their supporters banded together for protection. Fear and hate drove the Protectors to do the same. A crowd gathered and a shouting match ensued. Someone in the middle fired a shot and like a match to kindling the war began. It spread quickly across the region as people on opposing sides took up arms to protect themselves. The two sides began calling themselves by their current names and before long the battle was too big to stop. Within months the fighting spread to Kanto, our close neighbor, as people in that region began to take sides. For two long, bloody years the wars have raged and all those in power have been able to do is push the fighting away from the most populated areas. Small towns have had little defense, as you have probably seen."

I sat for a while, my stomach churning as I pictured the faces of the children who had been in New Bark Town when the fighting began. It seemed somehow ridiculous to think that so many lives were being lost over such a simple argument. But then, this world was different. Pokemon were not regarded in the same way as animals were in my world. Many people believed they were sacred, and the bond they shared with humans went so deep it was practically religious. When I thought about it that way, perhaps it wasn't so crazy to think that such a disagreement could lead to war, but then again, it still was.

'Imagine what would happen if a large group of people became violent while trying to change a controversial issue in your world. And, regardless of why they are violent, the people they target will fight back. This world is no different in that respect.'

I nodded, running my fingers through Dawn's fur. "Yes, but to continue fighting for two years…at some point, shouldn't someone say, we've had enough?"

Dawn sighed, leaning into me. 'Oh Faye, if only people were like that. But after a while the initial cause of the war becomes the excuse to fight. The real reason they continue is vengeance. Imagine if someone you loved was killed, or even just someone you considered to be on your side. Would you really put down your weapon and walk away?'

"So it becomes a cycle. You kill to avoid being killed, and then someone else will try to kill you in revenge. The hate grows, and suddenly the reasons for fighting become blurred."

Seles nodded. With a sigh she stood and stretched. "You are pretty wise for someone so young. I'm not surprised though. Deep down you are much, much older than I."

I pondered this statement while Seles poured herself a cup of coffee. Her kitchen was neat and homey. It reminded me of the kind of kitchen I often saw on old television shows, though with all of the modern equipment one would expect of the time. There were some twists, too, of course. Where my mother had decorated our kitchen with cats, Seles had decorated hers with Pokemon, mostly fire types. The coffee mug in her hand featured a sleepy looking Houndour with its nose in a bag of coffee beans.

'What about the other regions?' Dawn's squeak drew my attention away from Seles. The little mouse looked up at me with her head tilted. 'We know what happened in Hoenn, more or less. But that still leaves twelve wars unaccounted for.'

Seles sat back down at the table before replying, "The reasons for the wars were different, but the way they came about is similar. Some featured conflicts with the governments while others forced those in charge to take sides after the fighting began. Take Fiore, for example. The Ranger Union has worked to maintain peace and balance within the region for centuries. Their methods have changed over the years, of course, but their goals have remained the same. Some believed, however, that the Rangers were becoming too powerful. People began to revolt, calling for change. Many wanted that change in different ways, but they were able to put aside the specifics of their desires and band together to fight the Rangers. Naturally the governing powers sided with the Ranger Union, but Fiore, like most of the world, does not have a strong military power. The Rangers have acted as the peacekeepers alongside the police."

"Why?" The question escaped me before I could help myself.

"Why what?"

"Well, why don't the regions have strong militaries?"

Seles smiled slightly. "Our world is very different from yours in that respect. The regions are mostly allied, each maintaining forces needed to help within their borders. It is actually in large part thanks to the way our world operates, with trainers, breeders, watchers, and so forth free to move from one region to the other as they please. They compete against each other, but they also work together, learn from each other, and develop close friendships and strong ties with people across the globe. Then, as they get older, many move on to run businesses and join politics. It is because of the way our world functions and interacts with Pokemon that we have maintained peace and bondage among the regions for so long. Ironically, not having to fear war with each other left us unprepared to face war with ourselves."

'It still seems so unlikely,' said Dawn, hopping from my lap to the table so as to be able to address Seles directly. 'Yes, war may have happened within one region, even two. I understand how the events in Johto could easily have affected Kanto. I can even see violence breaking out in two or three regions at once. But all of them…or at least, all those connected by the Interregional Alliance. It just….'

I sensed where Dawn was going and finished her sentence for her, "Seles, what are you not telling us? What is the connection between these wars? You mentioned earlier that they all started on their own, but that they are all connected by one thing. What is it?"

The prophetess did not answer immediately. She sipped her coffee, not looking at me or Dawn. I could tell by her expression that she was unsure whether or not she wanted to be completely honest with us. This worried me. If she was fine with telling us the details of how the wars had begun, why did she hesitate with what seemed like a crucial part of the story. Could it be that this information was worse than what we had heard so far?

I glanced at Dawn who was thinking the same thing. She shifted her weight and tried to calm me with her mind.

_Perhaps it isn't that what she knows is horrible. It could be simply that it is complicated and she is unsure how to pass the knowledge on to us. _

I considered this. _That could be, I suppose. If there's some deep, cosmic link or something…_

"No, not exactly." Seles's soft voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked at her, confused. Had she known what I was thinking? Her expression was difficult to read as she continued, "In order to explain how these wars are linked, I am going to have to go back many, many years. Long before I or anyone alive today was born. I am also going to have to tell you some things about yourself, and these things may not be easy for you to hear."

I swallowed and raised my arms so that Dawn could jump into them. I suddenly felt that I needed her near me. She nuzzled my hand and gazed at me, her red eyes locked on mine. We were both curious about what it was that made us special. The thing that had singled me out as the Chosen One, also the thing that had brought Dawn into existence, seemed close at hand. And yet I felt a strong urge to cover my ears. Dawn shook her head slightly and nipped my hand.

_The time to run away passed you by the moment you agreed to help the Interregional Alliance. _

_I don't want to run away, _I thought, glaring at her.

She rolled her eyes at me. _Lying to me is as pointless as lying to yourself. Why do you bother?_

I looked away from her, annoyed. Having someone inside my head was a pain, even if that someone was technically a part of me. How could you argue with them? I did want to know why I had been pushed into this mess, but I couldn't help feeling a deep sense of foreboding. It was as if part of me, the part that looked up at me out of red eyes, already knew, or at least suspected. But suspected what?

_I don't know,_ replied Dawn quietly. Her eyes had become fixed on a spot above my shoulder. _It's almost as if I'm trying to remember something I dreamed a long time ago. I know it's there, but I can't reach it. There's this distance. _

I nodded without thinking. _I have a similar feeling, but it's less like a memory and more like that feeling you get when you know someone is watching you, even though your back is turned. _

A loud buzzing broke through our concentration, making us both jump. Dawn's claw bit into my leg and I let out a little yelp. We both turned towards the source of the noise. Seles smiled at us apologetically as she pulled a small phone-like device out of her pocket. It was oval shaped and had several small dials on the side. The face was smooth and displayed the words "President Clear". Seles pressed a button on the side and held the phone up in front of her face.

From where I was sitting I could see the president's face flicker into focus on the screen. "Good morning President Clear," said Seles, smiling at the device.

Alyssa nodded as she replied, "Good morning Seles. I trust you and Faye slept well."

Seles smiled at me over the top of the phone. "We did. We were just finishing breakfast, in fact."

"Excellent," said the president briskly, looking around as if hoping to catch a glimpse of me. "Could you please bring her to my office now? I need to speak to her right away."

"Has something happened?" Seles did not look or sound worried, but Dawn and I exchanged words of concern.

"Please bring Faye by within the hour. I will be waiting for you."

"Yes, President Clear. We look forward to meeting with you." There was a soft click and Alyssa Clear vanished from the screen. Seles placed the phone device back into her pocket and smiled at me. "Well, it sounds like we better be going. I'll check to see if your shoes are dry."

"Oh," I replied, standing quickly, forgetting for a moment that Dawn was in my lap. She growled irritably at me as she landed on the floor. I ignored her and followed Seles from the kitchen. "Will you tell me about the link before we go?" As anxious as I was about hearing what she had to say, I didn't think I could bare to sit through a meeting with anyone from the Interregional Alliance before hearing it.

Seles shook her head, leading my into the small laundry room in the corner of the house. "No, I don't think so. It would be better for you to complete your business with the president before we get too far into that."

"I, but…"

"Trust me, Faye," she said kindly, smiling at me. "I know patience is not always easy to come by, but I believe it will be much easier for you to deal with the Interregional Alliance, particularly with Trevor Moore, should he be there, if your head is clear of those troubles."

The mention of Trevor Moore made me stop in my tracks. Dawn, who had been trotting reluctantly after me, bumped into my legs. She moved around me, nose in the air, pretending to be completely unconcerned about our situation.

_Or, get over yourself. What am I going to tell them when they ask me about Soren? Do you think Alyssa asked Seles if he was with me last night? _

_If she did, Seles is keeping quiet about it. We just have to remain calm. You did what you and I both believed was right. Soren's intentions were good, but his attitude and methods were wrong. He would have had us charge into battle. You saw that. _

_Were your methods much different?_

Dawn bowed her head apologetically. _I lead you into an observation position, out of sight of the soldiers. I would never have allowed you to be hurt._

I smiled slightly at this. Dawn was so tiny. I believed she was much stronger than she looked, but then again, I was the one who had done all the real fighting up to this point. She had been my guide, instructing me. I wondered, rather guiltily, if she had much power.

_I am your soul, _she said snippily. _If you have power then so do I._

I didn't have a chance to answer this. Seles had pulled my shoes out of the dryer, inspected them, pronounced them fit, and pushed them into my hands along with a pair of clean socks. I pulled them on silently, avoiding her gaze. Her eyes were moving slowly from me to Dawn and back again. I had the strangest feeling she was listening to our conversation. I knew that was silly, of course, as Dawn and I had been communicating telepathically, or whatever it was we did. Still, there was something mysterious about this prophetess. Other than the fact that she could apparently see the future, and knew about other dimensions, and had been able to tell the I.A. where to find me.

_And is well connected, has a house with many forbidden rooms, and seems to like Houndour._

_What do you have against Houndour?_

_They eat mice._

I laughed and nudged Dawn down the hall with my foot. "Don't worry, if we come across anything that wants to eat you I'll be sure to tell them you taste bad."

'You should be more responsible with your soul.'

Seles laughed softly. "Come on, you two, we have a little bit of a walk ahead of us. The president's office is about a mile and half across town and I don't believe in taking the bus for anything less than three miles."

I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Walking is great," I murmured, tugging my jacket tighter around myself. "Really, I ought to know. I've ton nothing but walk since I got here."

'You poor humans. If only you had four legs, you'd see how silly your dislike of walking is.'

"If walking is so simple, why do you always make me carry you?"

'Because I can.'

Seles laughed again as she turned onto the sidewalk by her house. "Pay attention to your surroundings. If I send you on errands later on I don't want you to get lost."

Errands? How long did she think I was going to be staying here?

Goldenrod City was huge. I turned my head from side to side, trying to keep everything in sight, but there was so much to take in. Shops lined the sidewalk, advertising everything from potions and pokeballs to the latest in hair care products. I peered in through the windows, trying to decipher the purpose of the confusing and unknown merchandise, and holding back little coos of delight each time I recognized a foreign product.

When we passed a convenient store, I spotted a cooler filled with drinks, much like those I saw all the time back home. It occurred to me how thirsty I was and Seles agreed to let me pop in and grab a bottle of water. I hesitated as I browsed the multicolored bottles. A few shelves over was more of the karrea and I decided to read the labels very carefully, just in case. As the kind clerk behind the counter scanned my bottle of Mountain Spring water (apparently there was no originality when it came to naming water, regardless of what universe you were in) it struck me that I had no idea how to read this world's currency.

"That'll be five pen," he said smiling as he placed the bottle back on the counter.

I smiled back nervously and withdrew my wallet from my backpack. I quickly scanned the bills, noting the smallest number was a twenty. I opened the change compartment and noticed that the coins were marked with either a one, five, ten, or fifteen. I pulled out the five coin which displayed a picture of a woman starring serenely into the distance on the face…or perhaps it was the back. I was going to have to have Seles explain the currency to me at some point.

The man accepted the coin without a second glance, so I assumed I had given him the right amount. We exchanged farewells and I left the store. Dawn had remained outside with Seles and now returned to my side as we continued on our way. She allowed me to take a few drinks of the water before leaping onto my shoulder for her share.

A large building was beginning to emerge ahead. It was built from white and red brick and featured columns framing a large doorway. The steps leading to the door were made of the same strange red and white pattern as the rest of the building, but the doors were gold with the image of a large bird rising from flames engraved into it. It was very much like the Johto banner I had seen at the I.A. headquarters. I glanced at Seles. Her smile proved my suspicions about the building correct.

"This building is the twin of Kanto's capitol building. The red and white patterning is the reverse of that building, as you may notice if you visit it. Many of the region's highest ranking officials live and work out of this building. That is why Goldenrod has been so fiercely protected from the war."

I nodded without replying. Dawn scampered onto my head and leaned onto her back legs. 'This coloring is very…odd. I would have expected a building of this importance to be more…'

"Plain." I finished for her. "I agree, but it works, oddly enough."

I shooed Dawn back onto my shoulder and we started up the front steps. A man and a woman stood outside the doors, both dressed in plain black suits. A badge on each of their jackets displayed the same image as the front door. Neither spoke as we entered, but their eyes stayed locked on us until the doors closed behind us.

Inside was a large room decorated in red and gold. More columns rose in the corners of the rooms. These were gold, but I noticed thin streaks of silver winding around them. Large golden framed portraits lined the walls, each displaying an important looking person with a name underneath. A hallway lay straight ahead. Above it was a portrait that showed a woman with long dark hair, a slender, pale face, and sharp silver eyes. A Delcatty was perched in the background. I glanced back at the other portraits on the wall and guessed that they were the former leaders of Johto. I looked back up at the portrait of Alyssa Clear and felt my heart rate speed up. It was only now that the full power of the position she held within this region dawned on me.

'I guess the title President Clear isn't as obvious as you would think.'

I ignored this and followed Seles down the hallway, staying a little closer to her than I had up to this point. In my arms, Dawn was attempting to appear nonchalant, but I could sense that she was nervous, too.

The walk through the building seemed to take forever. By the time we finally reached a set of large wooden doors with "President Alyssa Clear" over them I felt as though I could hardly breathe. Standing outside of this room were two more guards, dressed identically to the ones I had seen outside. They stepped in front of us as we approached.

"Good morning," said the man on the right. He was about the same age as Seles. His short black hair had patches of gray in it and his face was beginning to show the first signs of wrinkles. His expression was stern, but his brown eyes were gentle. The woman next to him was a few years older, her blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at her neck. She smiled at me as Seles stepped forward and offered her hand.

"Good morning, my name is Seles Kachina and this is Faye Ilene." I felt Dawn huff quietly, annoyed at being left out of the introductions. "We have a meeting with the president."

"Ah, Ms. Kachina, yes, we have been expecting you. Please present your identification to the secretary and she will send you back to President Clear."

"Thank you," said Seles, smiling as the man opened the door for her.

Inside was what looked like a large, elaborate waiting room. Three doors lined two of the walls and a large desk sat against the third. A young man with black hair and amber eyes greeted us as we entered. I looked him over, noting his perfectly shaped face, his muscular arms, and his very white teeth. I couldn't help sending a mental congratulations to Alyssa for her choice in secretaries.

"Ah, good morning Seles. I see you have brought a friend with you today."

Seles smiled at the young man as she withdrew her identification card from her pocket and indicated that I should do the same. "Good morning Jordan. This is Faye, my niece. She's staying with me for a while and I thought she should meet the people I work with."

Jordan nodded, grinning at me. "Thinking of getting into politics one day, eh, Faye? You certainly have the connections for it."

"Well, I don't know about that," I replied, laughing a little nervously. "My…aunt just wanted to introduce me to the president and show me around. I don't really know if I'm cut out for the politics thing yet."

Jordan nodded again, looking at my I.D. "From Hoenn, eh? You never told me you had relatives over there, Seles."

"Oh yes, my sister moved there when she married. I'm afraid I don't see her nearly enough. This girl and her father keep her so busy."

Jordan handed me back my identification, rolled his eyes at Seles's attempt to show him hers, and picked up the phone on his desk. "Well you'll have to introduce me to her one day. I'll have her and her husband convinced to move back to Johto before they know anything's happened." He pressed a button on the phone as Seles laughed. "Hello aunt, Seles and her niece are here to see you….uh huh….yes," he glanced at me, "yes. Sure thing, and Alyssa, try to be more cheerful when you're talking to them. You'll scare the poor girl off….I'm just saying…all right then, I'll send them in."

_It sounds like Alyssa is in a bad mood. _

_That can only mean trouble for us, _Dawn thought, sighing.

"You can go on in. Alyssa, the president, excuse me, says she's been expecting you." He grinned once more at me. "Don't be frightened by my aunt. She's a lovely person, but she's under a lot of stress right now, as you can imagine."

"That's only natural," I replied, trying to smile back.

"Come on now," said Seles, steering me towards one of the doors. I noted briefly that the symbol for Johto was inlaid above the doorknob as we entered.

Alyssa Clear did not smile as we entered. She motioned for me to close the door before speaking. "Faye, I'm very glad to see that you are safe, but I am furious with you for not contacting me sooner. And worse, disappearing in the middle of the night like that…Soren thought you had been kidnapped. He was absolutely frantic. Trevor was furious with him for losing you. If I hadn't stepped in and convinced them that you had probably gone off of your own free will, well, it was extremely foolish of you. This country is at war! You could have walked straight into a confrontation, completely unprotected."

I avoided her eyes. So, they did know I had left Soren's side. Of course he would have contacted them when he discovered I was missing. I probably should have left a note, at least. Alyssa wasn't finished chastising me yet. She didn't raise her voice, but tone conveyed her disapproval very clearly.

"Now, I understand Soren may have said some things that gave you the wrong idea. It was never our intention for you to walk straight into a warzone without a plan. Soren just wanted you to see what was happening so that you could understand. It was not a smart move on his part, of course. He was upset, you both were. He told me what happened on your way here. I'm very sorry," her eyes moved to the faint scar above my eye. Her tone was much softer when she continued, "I will not force you to be accompanied by Soren if you two cannot work together, but I cannot have you wandering around on your own. I'm afraid your ignorance will make you very vulnerable to…to mishap."

This caught my attention. In my arms, Dawn had stiffened, her eyes focused on Alyssa's face. I glanced up as well. Alyssa had almost said something else, but had caught herself. What was it she did not want me to know?

"Seles has very kindly offered to let you stay with her until you are fully recovered. Do you have any objections to that?"

"No," I said honestly. "And…I apologize for worrying you. For the time being I would prefer not to work with Soren. Whatever you say in his defense, I don't trust him."

Alyssa sighed but did not protest. "Very well. I will see what I can do about arranging a different escort for you. Until I can find one, you have to stay here in the city. Seles will work with you on your…mission, as it were. It occurs to me now that I probably should have sent you to her straight away. Fortunately you found your way here anyway. Now, before we discuss your future any more, we should talk about some other…some more…" A strange look spread across her face and I was started to see a tear welling her eye.

"What happened?" I looked from Alyssa to Seles. Seles walked over and placed an arm around Alyssa's shoulders.

Alyssa took a deep breath before looking straight into my eyes. "Faye, I think it is within your best interest to stay updated about the state of our world. If you are going to be traveling from region to region, you should know what is awaiting you. Do you agree?"

I exchanged a glance with Dawn before we both nodded.

Alyssa looked from me to the Rattata in my arms and then back to me. Her silver eyes hardened as she said, in a flat tone, "Fiore has fallen. President Joseph Krane is dead."


End file.
